Matter of Time
by Krimzon no hime
Summary: She finds herself trapped in a game with powerful beings that she thought only existed on the tv screen. Can she make it out the same condition she came in? Or is the past bound to catch up to her? Memories of red mist and special creatures... Rated M for sexual innuendo and a couple dark parts. MephistoxOC Will be updated regularly until completed.
1. Prologue

It was there again--that beautiful voice that only she could hear…

So many years had passed since she'd last heard it that she had actually forgotten it. It only rose from the murky depths of her hazy childhood memories about a week ago. After breaking up with her long-time (and first) boyfriend, she'd drank the entire night with her sister comforting her. It was unusual for her to drink as she could not stand the taste of alcohol (unlike her younger sibling), but the guilt and heartsickness continued to eat away at her, so she allowed herself to sink into oblivion which such poison granted. Had she done the right thing? He was a nice guy, but she just couldn't seem to feel "right" with him...but there was no reason for it. Had it been for the best?

It had taken until the next morning for her questions to be answered. Suffering from a minor hangover, the hapless girl began to hear words whispering into her mind. Memories--forgotten until now--slowly seeped in over the next few nights. Everything from strangely-dressed men to uttered phrases in what she believed to be Latin began to intrude on her thoughts. It didn't take long for her to realize these things were memories--she just wasn't expecting the vividness of it. It took all of her years of pretending things were okay to mask the unsettled mess she'd grown into. That, and her sister's willingness to listen to her--and believe her--helped keep her teetering on the brink of insanity…

She only prayed that she wouldn't plunge in...


	2. Kidnapped

'They're coming…'

I whipped my head around at the abrupt declaration, my brown eyes wide with fear. After that crazy night, I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. I refused to even use mouthwash… Still, that had not stopped the memories of strange encounters from surfacing--albeit in pieces with no clear faces or voices--nor that odd voice…

However, an entire day had gone by without either...so I thought the insane situation had gone away.

Apparently, I'd been wrong to think such…

"Hey, you okay?" Jen--my sister--pulled me back into reality. Her grip on my shoulder helped to ground me as her concerned brown eyes bore into my own. I struggled to keep myself calm as I put her at ease with a nod of my head and a smile. Her narrowed eyes and pursed lips told me she clearly did not believe me...but she chose not to press the matter and turned her attention back to the tv. My own gaze returned to the bright screen while my arms clenched tighter around the Heartless plushie in my lap. My white-bleached curls cascaded around my body in a silky array, barely brushing the fluffy white blanket my sister and I sat on as we watched an anime in her room.

It was an anime I had actually suggested as I had discovered it recently…

Blue Exorcist.

For some reason, I'd always been drawn to the supernatural stories. I loved demonology, in particular. The fact that the main character fought so hard to be recognized as a person with feelings and talents while still maintaining such a cheesy grin and upbeat attitude was what kept me fascinated with the story overall…

A longing sigh passed my lips at the scene where Rin Okumura got caught snoozing in class and was reprimanded by his twin brother, Yukio. He had such strength! And here I was racked with guilt over a breakup because I had lost confidence in my feelings… He was dealing with being a son of Satan, for crying out loud!

"Hey, Mana?" Jen's voice drew me out of my pathetic pity party.

"Hm?" I gave a grunt to indicate that I was listening, eyes never leaving the screen as I tried to follow along with the lesson I was only partially-privy to. How amazing would it be to learn this stuff? Or, for that matter, grab Rin's tail for the hell of it? Just to see what would happen. I'd always been curious of that demonic tail. Mephisto's and Amaimon's, too. Hell, I'd give anything to safely watch their reactions!

"That one guy can turn into a dog...right? White fur, polka dot bow, and droopy eyes?"

Now, I was confused. Mephisto wasn't on the screen at this time. Why would she be asking that? Unless…

"Are you looking up spoilers?" I turned to her, expecting to see her on her phone with wikipedia open or something. Instead, I saw her staring at the door to her room. Baffled, I followed her gaze only to notice the previously-shut door wide open. But that was definitely not what grabbed my attention…

"M-Mephisto…?" I stammered, unsure of whether my eyes could be trusted right now. There, in the entrance of my sister's room, sat a little terrier dog with long white hair and a pink, polka-dot bow around its neck. Droopy eyes watched me in careful observation, not breaking my gaze even as I heard a distinct thump behind me. I only noticed my sister had fainted when the green hamster--clinging to the dog's head--made the remark first.

"The second one fainted. Should we take her, too?" Amaimon suddenly piped up, making me snap to attention.

"Ah! Jen?!" Beside me, my younger sister had, indeed, collapsed to the pile of blankets and pillows we were sitting on...softly snoring away. A puzzled expression overcame my concerned features. It was only midnight! My sister regularly stayed up until 7am since she had an overnight shift at a school…

I jumped when an unfamiliar hand settled on my shoulder. On reflex, I slapped the offending limb away with a growl.

"Easy now," Mephisto put his hands up in mock surrender, now in human form. Amaimon, himself, stood in his "human" body beside his elder brother, looking bored. "She's only sleeping. No need to worry," the older demon placated before doing something I did not expect from someone as prestigious as him…

He kneeled down to my level until his face was right next to mine. Something akin to delight shone in his green eyes at my obvious discomfort. The purple of his hair glinted in the light of the tv screen as it hung around his pale face. Even the little bit of beard he had left on his chin had the same unusual shade of violet. The usual white, elegant (and overly-done) outfit from the show was...surprisingly, not there. He wore a simple black shirt and jeans with a white scarf, no more. His brother wore similar attire, only sans scarf.

Fingers beneath my chin drew my attention back to Mephisto as he spoke his next words that made my breath catch in my throat.

"Would you like to attend True Cross Academy, my dear?"


	3. Playing Hooky

I stayed hunkered down in my chair, eyes trained on the chalkboard up front while ignoring the stares of my new classmates. This was the third class of my day already and it felt so strange to be back in school after being out for so long…

My thoughts drifted back to my sister and how she was holding up in our dimension. The note I'd left for her explained what I could as I had little to no knowledge of what exactly was going on. Mephisto seemed rather amused by my attempts to be honest with my sibling and even more so by the fact that I had accepted his and his world's existence so easily.

I refrained from scoffing out loud, adjusting my wire-frame glasses as they slipped down my nose.

Honestly, I had the terrible feeling that had I gone against the Demon King of Time, I'd have found myself here anyway. His "offer" had clearly been a command more than an invitation.

And I still had yet to be told why…

"Miss Feldman," the Japanese teacher called my name I had used for this school. Mephisto had been ecstatic to hear most of my family (on my grandmother's side) had immigrated from Germany. After learning that, he'd insisted on using my grandmother's maiden name rather than my surname (which would have been complicated to say in Japanese) or the otaku name he'd concocted…

I raised my head up from my hands where I had subconsciously facepalmed during my flashbacks. The instructor had written something on the blackboard in Japanese and wore a mocking grin as he tapped the sentence with his chalk.

"Can you read this?" he questioned in a false authoritative voice, glasses glinting in the midday light streaming in from the windows. Some of those in the class giggled. They didn't think a foreigner--especially an American--possessed the basic knowledge of the Japanese writing system.

Maybe I should have taken up Mephisto's idea on a Japanese surname, after all?

My eyes scanned over the intricate kanji and kana. Some I recognized, but some I didn't. Rather than risk completely making a fool out of myself, I merely shook my head in response to the teacher. My gaze dropped to my desk in shame as the snickers erupted around me and even the instructor admonished my lack of knowledge on the subject. It wasn't as if I could help it, though. The language I knew fluently--even the kana writing--but I knew very few kanji as I was still in the process of teaching myself.

Unless you had tons of money, you couldn't get into the types of schools that could teach you those sorts of languages in America…

"Geez. What an idiot," someone mumbled from the row next to me. My brown eyes flashed over in that direction, irritation churning in my gut. Red-brown eyes stared at me, unabashed and unimpressed, further accentuated by small and oddly-shaped eyebrows. Beautiful, long violet hair--tied up in twin pigtails--fell all the way to her hips as she turned back to face the front of the classroom. Meanwhile, a cute, brown-haired girl next to her gave me an apologetic smile before doing the same as her friend.

'Izumo and Paku,' I recited in my head, trying to still the rapid beating of my heart.

It hadn't even been a day yet. Mephisto had insisted on enrolling me into the school the night I'd arrived--or been kidnapped, really. Which meant, I'd gotten even more attention for being an unexpected transfer in the middle of the year…

The squirming in my lap brought my attention down to the little green hamster stirring from his nap. Heat flushed my cheeks a bright pink at the feel of his tiny head rubbing against my thigh. It didn't help that I was wearing the standard uniform for True Cross Academy--the fact that Mephisto already had it waiting for me further drove home the implication that "no" was never an option--so the thin fabric of the shirt did little to ease my embarrassment. The reality that the animal was a demon--and a King of Earth, at that--urged me further into wanting to get out of this class already.

'Come on, lunch! Lunch, already! Please?!' I prayed in my head, eyes on the clock. Amaimon's personality frightened me as he could get quite violent when bored. Seeing as how regular school classes were boring enough to put someone to sleep--and how Mephisto had forced his younger brother to "watch me"--I was intent on escaping the clutches known as "school" for the remainder of the day.

Or dumping Amaimon back off on the other Demon King…

Amaimon had been sleeping for the better part of the morning, lucky me, but I doubted that would last.

At long last, the bell signaling lunchtime shrieked through the academy. I gathered my things quickly--the Bleach shoulder bag Mephisto gifted me--and hurried out the door before anyone could even get out of their seat. Amaimon sat on my shoulder, now, while I expertly maneuvered through the crowded halls. My white hair and pale skin received many stares and whispers, but I chose to ignore them. Making friends was not my goal here, that was for sure, so let them gossip. All I wanted to learn was why I was brought here in the first place…

"Where are you going now, human?" the hamster questioned when I made my way outside. His green fur tickled my cheek while I walked to a grove of trees in the distance, the scent of sweets drifting into my nose. "Brother will not be happy if you leave." As he said that, his claws dug deep into my shoulder, easily cutting through the school uniform and into my skin. Flinching at the pain as well as the wet sensation now forming there, I gave him a slight glare from the corner of my eye. Seeing his seemingly-innocent stare emboldened me and gave me a false sense of superiority. In the back of my mind, I knew he was a demon, but my head was clouded from all the emotions warring inside so it mattered little to me at the moment if I pissed him or his brother off.

"Playing hooky," I bit out, just refraining from slapping him off my now-burning shoulder. Normally, I wasn't a violent person, but--as I said--the last twenty-four hours had been more than a normal person could handle. Maybe I had finally snapped? This could all be a dream my mind had created while my body was holed up in a padded cell somewhere…

Oddly, thinking about it like that seemed to ease the pressure enough so that I didn't just break down into a mess of pathetic sobs…

"Hooky? What's that?" Amaimon's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I chose not to answer him, curious as to what he'd do. Mephisto had told him not to harm me; and, if this really was in my head, then it wouldn't matter if I "died", anyway. To start with, I had very little self-preservation instincts. Recent events and the conclusion that this was all a very vivid dream just about banished all traces of preventing harm. This was my chance to test out some theories. Relinquishing control to my shyness and quiet nature did not appeal to me when I had such a tantalizing situation at my fingertips. Why play it safe when I could enjoy a little adventure?

A great force suddenly pushed me into a tree, my back slamming into the rough bark of its trunk. The surprise from the sudden action had my brown eyes widening and a thrill shooting up my spine. The Earth King--now in human form--loomed over me, his teal eyes wide with a dangerous glint in them. His hands squeezed my arms painfully, but I swallowed the whimper and held my pride. His body kept me pinned, legs entangled with mine and face much too close for me to not turn bright-red from embarrassment. An unspoken threat clogged the air surrounding the demon, but all I could do was cock my head in interest. A shiver of trepidation from some base instinct my human self still clung desperately to was all the indication I had to show my fear, but it was easily pushed aside.

I was too curious to be worried about dying.

"Are you ignoring me?" Amaimon spoke in a low growl, pupils small with growing anger.

I hummed in response, unsure of what exactly I should say. Dying now would end my fun too soon in this world, but lying to him didn't feel right, either. Before I could so much as open my mouth to say anything to quell his agitation, the green-haired male abruptly changed the subject.

His hand pulled at the fabric covering the wounds his claws had left in my shoulder. I watched as his eyes grew hazy and his nose sniffed the scent of my blood in. My curiosity made way for discomfort when the demon lowered his face to my shoulder and peeled away the cloth to reveal the sticky red mess marring my white skin. The feel of his tongue lapping at the punctures made me squeak and squirm against him.

Suddenly, I was no longer curious about his reactions to things.

"A-Amaimon?" I stammered aloud, face burning red. His iron grip on my arms kept me from tugging myself free to escape the strange-acting male. I had been expecting a threat, an injury of some sort, or even him trying to strangle me. I had certainly not been on the lookout for this sort of character. "Wh-what-ngh!" his lips had moved to my neck, fangs prodding at the quivering skin of my jugular. My heart raced at the sensation as all words became lost in the heat of the moment. I could feel my blood boiling inside of me, but I hadn't a clue why. A desire I was unfamiliar with churned deep in my belly, making me lose focus. I was so out of it by his ministrations that I barely caught his quiet voice.

"So that's why… Now, I understand."

What? I struggled to pull myself from this pool of dark desires Amaimon had shoved me into. I felt helpless in his hold, like a ragdoll. He could do whatever he wanted with me and I wouldn't fight it. A small part of me screamed at myself to get away, but my body just would not cooperate.

Therefore, I was relieved at what happened next.

The green-haired Earth Demon was abruptly yanked off me in a blur of white. With his presence now gone, my limbs were freed. Whatever spell that had previously been keeping me frozen seemed to break. Shakily, I propped myself up from the tree, brown eyes finding the flamboyant form of True Cross Academy's principal.

"Mephisto?" I breathed in a voice thick with emotion, nearly panting from the strange ordeal. His green eyes flashed briefly at me--who stood behind him--a dark expression on his face. He then turned back to face his brother, keeping himself between Amaimon and myself.

"I do believe I told you not to harm her, Brother?" the purple-haired man spoke in a light voice, but I couldn't help but shiver at the promised threat beneath. My gaze flicked to the younger of the two in concern, already having grown an attachment to the Earth King.

"She was playing hooky. It's her fault," Amaimon spoke in a monotone, his tired eyes watching me carefully. My own gaze caught on his lips when his tongue came out to lick away the smear of my blood that still remained there. A heated blush suffused within my face at the action.

Why did that seem so erotic?!

"Hooky?" Mephisto questioned, turning just enough to give me a look.

Suddenly forgetting the whole...episode with Amaimon just now, I began shuffling my feet and staring down at the dirt like a kid that got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Which, essentially, was the case. But I wasn't a "kid"...

"School is boring...and I already know all that stuff…" I half-lied, neglecting to mention that I had trouble reading kanji and the stirrings of living a bullied life…

"Ah? Is that all?" Mephisto's voice spoke up in the silence that had fallen. The feel of his finger lifting my chin to meet his amused gaze made my nerves flutter about. He smirked, as if pleased about something. "I suppose I could pull a few strings."

I cocked my head at his words, wondering what he had up his sleeve. With someone like him, it could be anything.


	4. Friends

'Pull a few strings' he said. Heh. More like just toss me into another class and take me out of the rest. Simple thing for the principal…

I waited patiently outside the door for the teacher to call me inside. Mephisto and Amaimon had left me a few minutes ago in their animal forms after having guided me here that afternoon. Absently, I rubbed the smooth skin of my shoulder—the same one Amaimon had wounded, thus giving me a temptaint—recalling Mephisto's words.

'Amaimon's saliva had healed the injury.' I thought back to the out-of-character demonstration of the normally-violent and uncaring demon king. Why had he healed me? And why did he have to do it in such a way?! It felt as if all my hormones had reverted to teenage level once again. Everything was buzzing just beneath my skin and threatening to burst at the barest touch! Where had all that come from?

"Mana Feldman? You can come in now," Yukio Okumura's face popped out the door, startling me at the sudden appearance of my young instructor. "Sorry," he apologized, quickly, with a gentle smile.

"It's alright," I shyly waved off his apology, mentally slapping myself for my bad first impression. Social interaction was not my forte. The one thing I had going for myself in this exorcism school was my complete disregard for my own death.

I took a deep breath to calm myself before I followed Mr. Okumura back into the classroom for "cram" school. Instantly, all eyes fell upon my small, slight frame as I stood in the front of the dingy classroom. It was far different from the expansive cavernous one I'd been in earlier. Fewer students, small area, and an inexpensive décor I was accustomed to. Those facts helped ease away some of my innate shyness.

"Everyone, this is Mana Feldman, your new classmate," Yukio introduced for me, thankfully, as my voice was currently stuck in my throat. "Please, treat her well." He then turned to me with a gentle smile. "If you would take a seat behind Rin Okumura, we can start class. Okumura? Raise your hand."

Although I didn't need help in identifying the black-haired, blue-eyed boy snoozing away at his desk near the back, I appreciated the attention being diverted from me.

"Ugh! Not again!" a male student with hair that strongly reminded me of a skunk and several piercings growled from his chair. His narrowed, brown eyes gave the lazy male a harsh glare.

"The desk behind the sleeping idiot," Yukio gave an exasperated sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. Which, honestly, he probably was. Perhaps, even a migraine…

I could only nod my head in acceptance, unwilling to advance his pain, before moving down the aisle to my seat. I settled in quickly, glad that I didn't have a sleepy hamster on my lap this time.

The rest of the day passed in relative peace. Rin, to my surprise, slept like a rock through the entire class. I got a few stares from the other students, but nothing I couldn't handle. It was only when we got released for the day—with homework, might I add—that all Hell broke loose. Instead of me skedaddling out of there like a cat with a tail on fire, I got surrounded…

"Hey there, pretty lady," the boy with pink hair crooned as he settled atop my desk. "My name's Renzo Shima. Please to meet your acquaintance." Another's hand came over his face and pulled him out of my personal space.

"That's enough, Shima," the burly guy with the blonde streak through his hair continued to drag his friend until they stood a respectable distance away. "Apologies for him. He's always like that," he told me in a gruff voice. "I'm Ryuji Suguro." He offered an outstretched hand, something I wasn't expecting considering I was in Japan.

"Nice to meet you," I replied in a shy voice, face pink from the attention.

"And I'm Konekomaru Miwa," his bald friend spoke up from his side. The boy was shorter than me! Scrawnier, even! And I hadn't been eating well the past week or two, so I was pretty on the thin side…

I returned the bow he gave me in greeting, praying that I wasn't making a fool out of myself. With a glance around the room, I'd noticed that Izumo, Paku and, surprisingly, Shiemi had already exited the premises. The first two didn't shock me, but I half-expected Shiemi to hang around Rin or something…

'She was still wearing that kimono, though…' I thought to myself, recalling that it hadn't been until after she'd gotten over her shyness of befriending others when she'd exchange it for the usual uniform.

"See ya around, Mana," Shima waved rom the death grip his friend still had him in, smiling while being dragged out the door. Konekomaru gave one last smile and friendly wave of his own before following the pair. Soon enough, I was alone in the room—a rare thing for me, as I was usually the first out the door.

An abrupt snore pulled my attention to my deskmate in front of me.

Well, almost alone…

Only Yukio, Rin, and I remained. Yukio looked busy cleaning up, so I took the chance to give Rin a light jab with the end of my pencil. He didn't even budge. A frown pulled at my lips at that and I was about to poke him harder in the ribs when something caught my eye.

Something long and slender—like rope or a cord—hung out of the back of his shirt. Glancing up to see Yukio cleaning off the blackboard, his back to me, I took the chance and gently grabbed the demonic appendage that had loosened from his waist. The sudden spark I felt upon touching it lead me to instantly release the tail. And just in time, too, as it had shot Rin awake with a yelp.

I winced at the pain it caused my ears. I hadn't thought I'd grabbed it that hard. I barely touched him…

"Rin? I see you're awake. Oh, Miss Feldman, you're still here?" Yukio looked back at the classroom, his glasses glinting in the golden light from the window.

"Yeah…" I mumbled to myself out loud, used to having people not feel my presence. That just seemed to be one of my characteristics—one that came in handy when trying to stay out of the limelight.

"Woah! Who are you?" Rin looked down at me in shock, his sky-blue eyes wide and sharp canines clearly visible. The pointed ears and tufted tail now swinging freely at his ankles were dead giveaways of his demonic heritage.

"Rin!" Yukio's yell came too late as I'd already seen the slender black appendage. I got an even better view when the clueless ravenette turned to face his brother and nearly hit me in the face with it. On reflex, I caught it in my hand before it could smack me in the nose.

Rin froze on the spot, his tail going stiff at the feel of my hands around it. I was only glad it didn't shock me this time…

"Cool tail," I complimented with a kind smile, not seeing the reddened cheeks or hazy blue eyes of my classmate. Instead, I allowed his tail to slip from my fingers. "Are you a demon, then?" I asked in a straightforward manner, keeping my smile warm and inviting so as to not off put either of the boys. I already knew the answer, of course, but I wasn't supposed to have such knowledge.

Yukio held back, clearly nervous while Rin seemed to snap out of whatever trance he'd been in. A large grin formed on his face and, before I knew it, he was way far into my personal bubble, nose mere centimeters from mine.

"You're not scared?" he demanded, eyes bright and face hopeful.

"Of course not," I affirmed in a nervous voice, acutely-aware of how close he was. The heat radiating from his body strongly reminiscent of Amaimon's transgression earlier that day. The wall digging into my back as I had abruptly retreated from the excited teenager only strengthened such unwanted thoughts flitting about in my head. His hands found mine, cupping both my own in his and bringing them up to our chests.

If I was any redder, I'd be mistaken for a tomato…

"Let's be friends!" he exclaimed in a rush of excitement. Fangs—easily visible—protruded from his jaw as his lips stretched into a wide grin. His blue eyes seemed to shine with joy and his own cheeks were a rosy tinge. From the peripheral of my vision, I could even see his demonic tail rapidly swinging back and forth like a dog's.

He was acting like he was five! Was he really a teenage boy? I expected this from Shiemi—maybe Shima, if I really stretched it—but not from the laidback loner known as "Rin Okumura"…

"Uh, I mean," he quickly dropped my hands and straightened his posture upon noticing my obvious discomfort. "You don't have to. I'd understand—"

"Yes! I mean, I'd like to be your friend," I cut him off, flustered at the abrupt situation I had found myself in. "I was just surprised by the offer. I don't really have any friends…" I explained with an awkward blush, twiddling my forefingers. Truth be told—other than my sister—I didn't actually socialize much. The small group of friends I had previously were old classmates of mine and—even then—were much closer with my ex, so when we broke up…

"Yeah? Well, neither do I, so we'll be best buds!" Rin assured with a smile, swinging an arm around my neck as if we already were best friends. Although embarrassed by the affection, I could feel warmth suffuse in my heart at the declaration…

But I doubted he'd want to be my friend once he got to know me better…


	5. Fun & Games

The next day, I found myself down in the kitchen of the old boys' dormitory—the very same one which the twin sons of Satan lived—swinging my legs off the countertop like a little kid with a cup of coffee cradled in my hands. Sleep still clung to me like a comfortable shroud, inciting a yawn. I only bothered to cover my wide-open mouth because I wasn't alone in the room. Through blurry eyes, I managed to catch the amused smirk on my new principal's face as he watched me from his place at the center island.

"Oh my, still tired, dear?" He trilled in an upbeat manner, picking up a knife to get started on the boys' breakfast.

I shivered at the cool counter I sat atop of when I shifted to bring my legs to a crisscross seated position. My black shorts hiked further up my thighs at the action, but I was too tired to care about the exposed flesh. I could only nod in reply to his question, dragging my fingers through my wild curls to disentangle the pale knots. I even had to wipe away the tears the yawn had formed with the cuffs of my new gray hoodie emblazoned with the homunculus symbol from Fullmetal Alchemist on the back.

After Mephisto learned I was an anime and manga lover, he had taken to using my being there as an excuse to purchase more unnecessary things for his collection. I'd basically become the Demon King of Time's dressup doll...

"Is Ukobach really going to be okay?" I finally managed to push out through the beginnings of yet another yawn. Despite knowing what was to occur, I couldn't help but be concerned for the little guy. What if my mere presence here had upset things somehow? Time and space were tricky things and just as delicate as the intricate web of life. One miniscule thing could throw the entire universe here completely out of whack...

"Worried about my familiar now?" Mephisto drawled, chopping some onions. "Have you gotten attached to me already, Kitten?"

Heat flushed my cheeks a hot-pink as I gave him a feeble glare, a pout forming on my lips. He had come up with that nickname for me this morning when he'd come into my room to wake me up at an ungodly hour. Apparently, I was curled up like a cat to his eyes. Amaimon had pointed out that I rubbed at my eyes and yawned like one, too... The Earth Demon jerk had even gone as far as to search for a tail and ears of such an animal on my person, convinced I was some kind of demon familiar... Mephisto had gotten a grand old laugh at my humiliation...

"You're right," I watched the shocked expression overcome his tired-looking features with a smile. "Maybe we should start seeing other people," I finished with a smirk of my own. Upon hearing someone snicker, I glanced over to the shadowy alcove where Ukobach was still sulking. His back faced me but his small body quivered from the smothered laughter.

Smoldering green eyes turned to glare at the familiar, but, before Mephisto could chastise his demonic partner, a couple of new arrivals slammed open the doors to the cafeteria. The twins—Yukio and Rin—stood there panting, as if they'd run the entire way from their dorm upstairs...

'Ah! That's right. They did,' I thought to myself, recalling the scene where Rin had blamed his younger brother for eating their specially-made lunches.

"Director?!"

"Mana?!"

They both spoke simultaneously, causing Mephisto to turn around to greet the pair. "Ah! Morning, gentlemen!" He gushed, overly-excited and cheerful.

I shook my head at his energy. It was just unnatural to be that awake so early in the day. The man had dragged me out of bed before daybreak, so I was none too pleased with the entire situation.

"Come on, don't be rude, Kitten," Mephisto urged, his smirk only growing at my childish action of sticking my tongue out at him.

"'Kitten'?" Rin and Yukio repeated, the former's face starting to go red at the several implications running through his dirty mind.

"So what are you two doing here? And why are you with the director, Miss Feldman?" Yukio inquired with a puzzled expression on his face, his teal-colored eyes boring into mine. His brother, meanwhile, seemed to focus on something else entirely...

"Uh...you're wearing something underneath that...aren't you?" The teenage male asked, pointing a claw at me with one hand while the other held his nose. His words pulled the eyes of the other two men in the vicinity. Yukio—and, to my surprise, Mephisto—both began to blush at the way I sat on the countertop. Since my body had grown so thin and I had a small frame to begin with, the hoodie I wore concealed the fact that I had shorts on. The shorts themselves had hiked up high enough to reveal a good amount of my thighs, while the strap of my shirt feel below one scrawny shoulder—the hoodie was only partially-zipped. With my messy hair and lazy posture, it all definitely insinuated something that belonged in the gutter. It didn't help that the tanktop I wore had a plunging neckline so that the black cloth easily showed off the gentle swell of my breasts. Before I could say anything at all—or do anything—my keeper, of sorts, made an observation I wasn't expecting of him.

"Is that a pentagram?"

I followed Mephisto's stare at my chest. Inked onto the pale skin above my left breast was, indeed, the encircled star of supernatural lore. My fingers lightly began to trace the black outline out of habit, invoking the calmness the little action gave.

"Yes, to both questions," I said with a crimson blush, leaving it at that. I didn't understand what warranted their staring—I was an average girl with subpar looks. Hardly an interest to any guy, especially the handsome ones gathered in this world...

"Hm. Well, would you come down from the counter, dear? You're quite the distraction," Mephisto hummed as he spooned some of the bubbling concoction he'd created into a pair of bowls. I noticed the glare he gave the twins when he slammed the trays on the serving counter but shrugged it off.

Without a word, I slipped down to the floor. My head came up to the principal's chin when I stood right next to him, my short stature being forcibly reminded once again. Hopefully, I wouldn't pack on extra weight again during my stay here. My body had a tendency to bulk up with muscle and fat if I didn't watch every little thing I ate or keep up an intense cardio routine. Although I was smaller than the average American, I was far from the slender petite frame that my Asian counterparts were so privy to.

My stomach growled for nutrition and I could already feel the ache beginning to stir in my limbs. I'd gone far too long without a proper meal. I suppose my priorities should focus on "healthy" rather than "pretty" since I'd need the strength to survive in this world.

"Someone's hungry," Mephisto teased, slipping a piece of bacon between my lips when I was about to deny it. "Your plate is on the counter. Go eat." I watched him walk out of the kitchen to loom over the boys and their demon oatmeal before heading over to a lone dish to partake of my own breakfast. Only half-listening to the conversation they were having about Ukobach and who would normally cook their meals, I found myself pondering on what my life had become.

This all felt like a dream...or a nightmare. Time will tell on which. Either way, I still hadn't a clue why Mephisto had brought me here nor why Amaimon had said he'd "understood" yesterday. That in and of itself was a growing mystery. Amaimon had given me my own temptaint, enabling me to see other demons. I'd expected that, of course. Perhaps even encouraged him to do it so that I wouldn't be at such a disadvantage without one. What I had not been expecting was the uncharacteristic display which had occurred afterwards.

My eyes fell on the three in the cafeteria as I bit into American-style toast. I was very out-of-place in this school. No, in this world. Outrageously so... Not only would I have to avoid accidentally getting killed, I would have to learn how to convince Mephisto to take me back home. It may be a boring world and a struggling situation I was in, but it was the place I, technically, belonged in and, more importantly, my sister was there. The one person I cared deeply for and had to return to.

Speaking of whom...

With downcast eyes, I noticed I had finished my food. My body felt sated, but my heart ached for my younger sibling's presence. She would know how to handle this situation. Jen had a knack for interacting with others and managing to do what needed to be done with very little effort. Mephisto should have chosen her; not me...

"Something got you down, Kitten?"

Speak of the devil...or devil's son, in this case.

"Where'd the boys go?" I looked around, avoiding the question posed to me. The cafeteria was void of life. The only sign either of the boys had been there were the two trays on a table. One still full with simmering oatmeal while the other lay empty on the floor.

"To their day classes," Mephisto answered simply. "And that didn't answer my question." Narrow green eyes stared down at me in an unnerving way. The atmosphere of the now-quiet dorm seemed to darken and grow heavy, weighing down on me so much I could barely breathe. I had to physically bite my tongue to keep from lashing out at the demonic entity before me. Being toyed with and not understanding the situation...neither sat well with me; and, here I was, cuaght up in both. I'd watched the anime, but I hadn't read much of the manga for Blue Exorcist. The Demon King of Time's personality was a wild card, as were his intentions. He was the one character I couldn't understand and that mere fact alone shook me to my core. Ulterior motives ran beneath the surface of that goofy grin and otaku persona. He was not one to take lightly much less strategize against.

A master manipulator.

"Why am I here?" I finally relinquished to his staredown, lips curved into a frown. It wasn't the thing making me depressed, but it was the main question plaguing my mind for the last twenty-four plus hours. I expected him to laugh, to change the subject, or even do as every trickster I'd read about would do—twist my words to mean something else entirely.

What I got, instead, was the answer I'd been seeking...but definitely not the one I wanted to hear...

Mephisto grinned, suddenly, stepping closer to me until my back was against the counter I'd been sitting atop of previously. His hands rested on the table on either side of my hips, effectively trapping me. My cheeks burned at his nearness, heart slamming against my ribcage at the sight of his tongue licking his lips like I was some extravagant meal he couldn't wait to sink his fangs into. Even though I should have been terrified—disgusted, even—I couldn't help the searing-hot excitement churning in my belly at the director's daring. Faintly, in the back of my mind, I realized I'd felt similar emotions with Amaimon and even Rin...

It was not normal behavior, especially for me...

"Why, for a game, of course," he whispered directly into my ear, his warm breath against my skin sending shivers down my spine. His purple hair tickled my cheek when he moved back only to shoot forward abruptly. My eyes snapped open from their half-lidded state when I felt a pressure against my mouth. Seeing Mephisto's shimmering green eyes as he kissed me sparked something inside. The heat in my belly intensified a hundred-fold when his lips moved expertly against mine, threatening to overwhelm me until the reality of the moment came crashing into me.

My teeth came down hard on Mephisto's tongue when he forced his way into my mouth, prompting him to pull back. Being a demon, he didn't bleed—my human teeth too dull to do any real damage—but he didn't appear too happy either. Amusement still danced in his eyes despite the frown on his face after he stepped away from my flustered form. I growled softly in the back of my throat, brown eyes blazing with agitation at what he had just pulled. I smothered the sound with an embarrassed cough at the smirk my actions caused to appear on his pale face.

"You are a feisty one, aren't you?" Mephisto teased but refrained from touching me further. I felt sick by the fact that my body craved his hands on me still and for the attention to have continued. In retaliation for the betrayal of my own self, I started yelling at the chortling demon.

"What the hell was that?!" I complained, upset and careful to maintain my distance. "Seriously? First, Amaimon and, now, you! What is going on?!" My emotions spiraled dangerously inside me, threatening to snap and cause as much destruction as possible. A strange tingling sensation trailed over my skin, originating from my tattooed pentagram. Before I could check it out, Mephisto put his palm against it. The feel of his warm hand against my cool skin had an instant calming effect—the exact opposite of what I'd expect of myself as someone who greatly disliked being touched.

"Believe me, I wasn't expecting to get involved in this bet myself," he explained with a grin, revealing his elongated fangs. "But your pull is greater than any I've encountered before. You've just surprised me, Kitten." He brought a hand to my chin, lifting my bewildered gaze to his. His eyes seemed to glow in the little light of the kitchen.

"Wanna make a bet?"


	6. Pentagram

Swinging my legs from the rooftop ledge of the men's dormitory, I stared down the lightening horizon in the distance. It was just before dawn, but I'd already been up for an hour. My loose, white hair was still damp from the sweat I'd worked up from exercises for the past hour, my wooden sword resting on the concrete behind me. The breeze up here—still cool from last night's chill—blew gently through my thin white tanktop which hung over my small frame. Skin-tight black shorts and a black sports bra made up the remainder of my attire. Even my feet remained bare as I preferred to get a feel for the terrain and footing of sword technique. My brown eyes stared straight ahead and at the main campus. Mephisto was at the center of my thoughts as was his bet he'd made with me...

'Survive the semester and I'll take you home.'

That's what Mephisto had said, but I still didn't get it. Survive? I was well-aware of the dangers in this world, but, if that was all there was to it, then couldn't I just stay clear of Rin and Yukio? They were the main focus of this story, after all. Meanwhile, I was a normal human who'd been dragged here for a "game", apparently.

Curiosity ate away at me at that implication. He'd said "game". He had also mentioned how there had been others who'd come before me. Clearly, he'd done this before, but how long ago and for what possible reason remained shrouded in mystery.

A yawn fluttered past my lips as the exhaustion caught up to me. It had been a week since then and I'd been forced to move into the old, decrepit dormitory for some reason. Luckily, that meant I wasn't sharing a room with anyone and only had Rin and Yukio to worry about. After the "kitchen incident"--as I'd dubbed it—Mephisto had insisted I'd feel more at ease with the move. His claim as to why I couldn't bunk with the regular students was that the other dorms were all full. Granted, it didn't bother me. In fact, I was ecstatic to be in the same building as the twins, seeing as how Rin was my only friend here. Keeping up with my studies in the "cram" school proved much more efficient with Rin helping me translate kanji I didn't know. In exchange, I helped him with his work. Oddly, Yukio was quite impressed with my knowledge pertaining to the subjects, realizing that the reason I failed my in-class work was due to the complicated writing system rather than the material itself. He even started to give me kanji lessons so I could catch up to the other kids.

"Why are you out here so early?" A familiar voice snapped me to attention.

Jumping to my feet, I turned around only to see Rin Okumura come out onto the roof, rubbing sleep from his eyes and yawning widely. With a curious tilt of my head, I watched the demon-halfling. His raven-black hair was messy from bedhead, white T-shirt and black shorts haphazardly-thrown on and askew, and even his tail was out and waving lazily behind him near the ground. For a brief moment, I wondered what Mephisto's tail would look like. Or even Amaimon's. Would they mimic their hair color and have the same structure as Rin's, or would they be completely different?

Realizing where my train of thought had gone, I shook my head and hopped off the wall. I made my way over to Rin who was just now noticing my state of dress.

"Training?" He guessed, eyes catching on the wooden sword resting on the ground a couple feet away.

"Why are you up so early?" I threw right back to him, hands on hips with a pout on my face. A week straight of living and attending classes with the teenage son of Satan had effectively eradicated all of my shyness with him...well, when I was alone with him, anyway. In groups, I still had trouble with my damned introverted nature, but Rin had a habit of pushing one past their inhibitions. His carefree but reliable personality also helped to put me at complete comfort in his presence, so I'd warmed up to him quicker than I'd ever done with anyone else. After I'd done so, I'd half-expected him to give me the cold shoulder upon noticing I wasn't the quiet, obedient, and perfect little doll my outer persona put on. Instead, he'd surprised me and was even quite ecstatic by me just being me...

"Today's the start of our training camp," Rin reminded me, picking up my bokken. "The others will be here soon and I was going to wake you up, but you weren't in your room. Figured I'd find you up here." His smug smirk wiped away any remnants of fatigue I may have felt at that moment as he brandished my own weapon against me. "I could teach you a few things, you know." He gave a wink before poking me in the cheek with the tip of the practice blade.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed the "blade" and took back the bokken with graceful ease. The surprise in his blue eyes was worth all that hard work day in and day out.

"I'll take you up on that," I trilled happily, intent on bettering my fighting technique for what I knew was to come. As I was now, I wouldn't stand a chance...

Suddenly, I felt something snake around my waist and an arm hook around my neck. I should have been used to this by now, but I still couldn't prevent the blush from staining my cheeks at Rin's nearness. I don't even think he realized how intimate the action was.

"Good! Now let's get ready," Rin suggested with a toothy grin as he proceeded to drag me back into the dorm. My eyes flicked once more to the building which housed Mephisto Pheles's office. I had seen neither hide nor tail of the demon since our little bet. His brother hadn't visited me either, not that I was expecting such special treatment.

So what was with this hollow feeling?

I left Rin to go get ready on his own while I headed off to the showers. I only had an hour, but I never did like to just soak around in the baths. Waste of time, in my opinion, and all you had to show for it was wrinkly skin. On a similar note, I didn't bother to do jack to my hair—too untamable—and I wore no makeup. The last part was partly due to my easily-to-irritate skin, but also because Mephisto had kidnapped me before I could pack an overnight bag...

'So why had he kissed me?' I couldn't help but think as I pulled off my sweaty clothes and tossed them into a basket. I was a human—and a plain one, at that—not anything special...

I washed up quickly, glad to ease away the tension in my sore muscles. The cool water cascaded over my skin like a waterfall, making me glad that there were actual showers in this dorm. I needed to learn as much as I could in this world. I had to win that deal I'd made with Mephisto. Still, something about his words bugged me. They were much too vague...

I secured a white towel around my body, the bottom hanging just below my hips. Unlike the other girls—maybe not Shiemi—my body had curves, so this "large" towel covered less on me than the girls they were meant for. Hourglass figures may be an ideal type in America, but it was a pain to find the proper attire for, especially when it was combined with a short stature. A small shirt covered my torso properly lengthwise but strained against my chest, while a skirt fit well around my waist but the length...revealed much more than it ought. Thanks to Ukobach's cooking, my scrawny frame had begun to get back to its healthy weight. Of course, this meant I had to get new measurements for a uniform. Embarrassing as hell to have that discussion with Yukio the other day...

"Wait...clothes..." I sighed, dropping my head in shame at my forgetfulness. I really didn't want to go traipsing through the halls to make it to my room...even if there were only two others in the building...

"My, my, forget something?" A familiar voice chuckled from above.

With a squeak, I looked up and caught sight of Mephisto—in all his fancy suit glory—sitting atop the lockers. His green eyes watched me intently, unabashed despite me standing there in nothing but a towel. "I'll say, you definitely have a figure. And such clear skin! I could have sworn you wore makeup..."

I could feel a blush burning in my face at the unexpected compliments spilling from that silver tongue of his. Then again, it could all be lies. He definitely had something up his sleeve...

"I'm going to scream--" I started to warn him with an embarrassed flush but was quickly silenced by a finger pressing against my lips. His face got dangerously-close to mine as did the rest of him. Something flashed briefly in his eyes but he wiped it away before I could pinpoint the emotion.

"Now don't do that, Kitten," he hushed with a smirk. "I actually came to pick you up." He backed off then but only a few inches.

"Pick me up? For what?" I repeated, confused. No one had informed me of this.

Mephisto nodded in affirmation, his eyes surveying me up and down. A feverish-red bloomed in his cheeks at the realization that all that stood between him and my nakedness was a simple piece of fabric. Water still dripped from my damp hair and glistened on my pale-white skin. My hold on my thin covering was tight but could easily be broken by a demon king. The fact that my own cheeks were rosy from a combination of cold and shyness did not help lighten the intense atmosphere.

"Mephisto?" I plucked his hat from his head while he stared, uncovering that single violet curl sticking up from the rest of his hair. Just like with Rin, Mephisto had a personality that could bring out my playfulness. "Should I just go ask Yukio then?" I inquired as I plopped the Director's strange top hat on my still-damp hair. It was a little big but still managed to stay above my eyes. It did not remain there for long, sadly, as a force barreling into me forced the thing to tumble off and to the ground. Before I knew it, Mephisto had me pinned to the bathroom wall.

"Kitten, you won't survive for long if you keep that up," he warned in a husky voice. My body grew taut at the feel of his tongue lapping at my neck and up to my jaw. Heat flourished like fire over every inch of my flesh, intensifying every touch and feel of the male's body against mine. A whimper escaped my throat when I felt something wrap around my right thigh. It felt eerily reminiscent of something else...

Was that...a tail?! Mephisto's?!

I could feel the prehensile appendage inching up, getting dangerously close to what lay under the towel. Meanwhile, his lips devoured my own, tongue pushing its way into my mouth to explore every crevice. By the time he finally pulled away, I was a heaving, red-hot mess and struggling to stay standing on shaky legs. His tail remained on my leg, just brushing the hem of my towel.

"Now, it wouldn't be fun to end the game so soon," the purple-haired demon teased, but the lust in his eyes betrayed the opposite desire. "You need to put up more of a fight than this. I am a demon, you know. I enjoy a good chase." It was almost as if he was goading me—begging me, even—to refuse him. I hadn't a clue what he was talking about, but then it clicked.

"Game?" I repeated, putting two and two together. This "survival game" had something to do with...

My face heated up a hundred-fold at the conclusion I'd come up with. Without a second thought, I shoved him away, feeling his tail—as purple as his hair and beard but, otherwise, exactly like Rin's—unravel from my leg.

"New deal," I demanded with a blush, feeling like my spontaneous attraction to the Demon King—maybe even his brothers—was a side-effect to this "game" of his. It was just too unnatural to be ordinary. Even moreso that I had never felt like this for anybody before.

"New...deal?" Mephisto blinked owlishly, top hat still on the floor and tail out.

"I'm the human, why should I expect to...resist," I let my eyes wander off to the side at the awkwardness of this conversation, but pressed on, nonetheless. "What if you resist, instead? Assuming you can, but you can't avoid me! That would be too easy," I added stipulations, well-aware that he was a demon. I'd love to say that I could withstand his advances, but this was still a demon king who could easily take advantage through whatever means he had at his disposal.

And with someone who had earned the nickname of "Trickster", that could be anything and everything...

Mephisto suddenly broke out into full-blown laughter. I stuck my tongue out at him while putting on his hat once again. "Your choice." I gave a shrug, honestly not caring whether or not he changed the terms of the deal. The knowledge escaped me on the reasons behind this game of theirs, but it would be more amusing for me to do the chasing.

Not to mention, I'd be in control. Now that was something I greatly preferred to have.

"Deal," Mephisto smirked, palm outstretched towards me.

I grabbed it and we shook. He looked pretty confident of himself. I suppose he had every right to be, considering...

"Ah, one more thing," Mephisto made sure to hold my hand tightly so that I couldn't get away. "We need to get you dressed! Eins, zwei, drei!" A poof of pink smoke and I felt my towel disappear to be replaced by dry clothes. With a curious glance, I noticed he'd given me proper sizes for my fuller body—black skirt, black thigh-high stockings, a pink T-shirt with a black tanktop beneath, and a pair of brown shoes to complete the outfit.

"Um, thanks," I spoke in a whisper, feeling my now-dry hair as I pushed a stray lock out of my face.

"Come with me," Mephisto snapped his fingers before walking away. I started to follow after him, watching as his tail wrapped tightly around his waist once again, showing his bare back to me. A scar caught my eye and I stumbled to a halt. For the briefest moment, my gaze followed the light outline of...

No possible way...

Mephisto pulled his shirt back down, blocking my view. It wasn't until he exited the bathroom that he realized I'd stopped. "Something the matter?" He questioned with a tilt of his head. It was then that I noticed that he had yet to retrieve his hat.

Without a word, I rushed past him, plopping the hat back onto his hair with difficulty as I was much shorter than him. I couldn't seem to look him in the eye. My head raced with thoughts and faint memories that had plagued me before Mephisto and Amaimon had pulled me from my home. I couldn't get that eerily-familiar scar out of my head. It was as if it had been burned into my cornea...

Why? Just why?

My brown eyes slid over to the purple-haired demon now striding calmly beside me.

Why did he have a pentagram on his back?


	7. The Forest

For as long as I could remember, I'd never been alone...

Well, by demons, I mean.

As a little girl, there was always something or someone with me, even if I couldn't see them, I could sense their presence. Fear wasn't something that I ever associated with them, of course. In fact, I was happy with them as I considered them my only friends. They protected me, played with me, and watched over me when my parents couldn't be bothered to. My entire childhood was full of demons and spirits while being ignored by my human parents in favor of my younger sibling when she came along.

It didn't take long for me to start toeing the line between this world and the next. My days were a blur at that time—like a waking dream. Strange things occurred, as did dangerous accidents. It wasn't my demonic friends' faults, of course, but they could only do so much as, for some reason, they weren't exactly in my world. They were...in-between. I could only see and touch them when I was in that haze. Prior to that, I could only hear and speak to them. None of that scared me, though. Humans did.

People would whisper about my odd behavior; some would hurt me to stop it, including my own mother. She hated it the most. My spirit friends didn't like it. They wanted to save me, but they couldn't pass through to my body. So they resorted to what they could do...

They began to mess with my head. They made my weak, child mind so befuddled and hazy—trying to forcibly keep me in their world—that I had a difficult time discerning reality from fantasy...

Until the accident.

To my muddled mind, the car was stopped. I hadn't any clue, until I stepped out...

.:Timeskip:.

I awoke with a start, my heart in my throat and my eyes wild with panic. It took a moment for me to take in the somewhat-familiar surroundings of Mephisto's office before my rapid breathing began to slow down.

"Did the human have a nightmare?"

I turned to glare weakly at Amaimon who sat next to me on the couch. I must have fallen asleep waiting for Mephisto to finish some anime show he was watching on his laptop.

"What's Gehenna like?" I didn't bother to answer his question. My own inquiry seemed to have floored him as the Demon King of Earth lapsed into stunned silence. I was determined to get an answer, however.

"Gehenna?" Mephisto's voice drew my attention to his desk. I ignored the fact that he wore his pink kimono with chibi girls printed onto the fabric and nothing else. "What's with the sudden interest, Kitten?" he purred, an eager glint in his green eyes.

"Curiosity," I half-lied. There was no need to tell him about the unusual dreams which had started back up after seeing the mark on his back. He had to have known I saw it—he may have even done it on purpose to allow me to witness it—he was too smart and manipulative to do or say anything carelessly.

Mephisto narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not believing my words. His brother, however, had no such reservations and dove headfirst into his own personal recollection of home. Ignoring Mephisto's hard stare, I gave Amaimon my undivided attention. It had only been a week since Mephisto had brought me to his mansion to live—again—and had even taken over my education and pulled me from other classes. Despite all of this, he'd grown very distant. Of course, he wanted to win the bet, so I couldn't hold it against him. That did mean, however, I'd gotten close to Amaimon since humans were social creatures and they were, currently, the only two I had any contact with.

"It's a fun place sometimes, but really boring most of the time," the sweets-loving demon popped another sucker into his mouth. "Not many to play with. So weak."

I raised my hand up to stop him when I figured he'd just talk about all the fights and strong demons he'd encountered. Amaimon was all about proving himself to his elder siblings and, perhaps, even his father, Satan. I didn't blame him for his desire to garner attention for his power. I, myself, had done similar things to squeeze out a few words of approval from my uncaring parents. They'd dote on my sibling, but ignore or criticize every accomplishment I'd achieve. It wasn't until recently I'd realized how ridiculous the notion was to please others rather than simply be myself and be proud of my own endeavors.

"I meant: how does it look?" I rectified my previous question. A vision from last night's dream filled my mind's eye and I barreled forward into greater detail, uncaring as to the possible repercussions. "Red mist, no sun, red moon, uneven terrain, and...a palace? Black towers, I think, with a moat of blue flames?" I described as well as I could. The building had been far enough away that I hadn't gotten a good enough look at it before waking that morning, but those flames stood out. The elegant spires of the castle, too, had been stark against the pale-red moon in the crimson sky...

The room lapsed into a discomforting silence. Even Mephisto's laptop had gone quiet as he'd probably muted the anime he'd been watching. Amaimon was the one who, ultimately, broke the silence.

"You've been there before." He got extremely-close to me, face screwed up in concentration while his long claw poked me in the cheek. "You're only human, aren't you? How'd you get to Gehenna?" As he shot off question after question, the younger demon continued to touch me and explore my body for any hint of demonic attributes. I was forced to slap his hands away when they tried to remove my clothes to search for a tail.

"That's enough, Amaimon!" Mephisto's irritation was clear to see in the twitching of his right eye. He got to his feet and circled around the desk, only to stop next to the couch. Getting to eye level with me, his emerald gaze stared, unblinking into mine, as if searching for any hint of a lie. Suddenly, he smiled. "You certainly are full of surprises, Mana!"

I blinked up at him before showing my displeasure at his ever-growing mystery with a huff and a pout.

"I'm never going to get a straight answer out of you, am I?" I spoke to myself more than the two demons in my presence. Amaimon's lips twitched while Mephisto just smirked darkly. I ignored both as I got to my feet and stretched. Mephisto only stopped me when I began walking away.

"And where do you think you're going?" the violet-haired director demanded in a dangerously-low voice.

I flicked him a careless look, not worried about him or Amaimon hurting me anymore as I'd unwittingly began to trust them during my short stay in this world. Still, that didn't mean I liked being cooped up 24/7. Most of the time, neither demon would allow me to leave their sight unless I bathed or needed to use the toilet. The other rare times they did leave—probably to go toy with Rin Okumura—Mephisto put a spell on the place that kept me locked in. The place was huge and held every commodity available, but...it was still a gilded cage...

And I wasn't going to find answers within the home of the demon who was keeping secrets from me...

"Out," I latched onto Amaimon's arm with a whine, brown eyes pleading with Mephisto. "Amaimon can come with if you're worried about me running off or something! I just want some fresh air and to see my friend..." Rin's worried blue eyes from the day Mephisto had whisked me off filled my mind. I hadn't seen nor heard from him since. Amaimon had let slip, however, that their youngest brother had broken the door to Mephisto's office when he'd learned that I'd been pulled from the cram school. He'd sworn to keep bothering Mephisto every day until he let him see me. He must have stayed true to his word, because the school director was always irritated every time he started on my personal lessons in the afternoons...

"Humans are strange creatures, brother," Amaimon remarked as he settled his free hand atop my mess of white hair. "They do get sick if they don't see their friends, you know. I don't want Mana sick." I stared up at him in surprise, not expecting the King of Earth to actually take my side on the matter, nor to care much for me. Sure, I'd grown fond of the green-haired demon, but I always doubted such feelings could possibly be reciprocated by the violent male.

"Tch! Fine, go ahead," Mephisto growled icily. I could see the flash of anger as his eyes glanced at me before quickly moving away. The abrupt turn of emotion from him startled me. I was used to irritation from him when it came to his brothers—Rin especially—but never outright hate. Particularly when such negativity directed itself my way.

Once again, I was forcibly reminded that these were demons and what had transpired a week ago meant little to him. To be honest, I couldn't be sure of what it meant to me either. I barely knew Mephisto, even with watching the anime and spending a small amount of time with him. Mystery shrouded him like a well-worn cloak, and he had earned the title of "Trickster", after all. With his silver tongue and centuries of cunning, it was little wonder that he could have put on a grand performance. His true self remained safely hidden away in the shadows, as did whatever heart he may not even possess.

A master of this game of chess he was playing.

That begged the question of who he was up against... Was it really Satan? Or someone else? Or was it all for his own amusement? It must get rather boring to have such a long life. You could only stay entertained for so long...

"Let's go see my little brother, Mana," Amaimon slipped his hand into mine and yanked me toward a door. Taking out the Infinity Key his brother of Time and Space gave him, he inserted it into the lock and turned. Just before we were about to step through the magic portal, Mephisto made sure to utter one last little threat.

"Don't let her out of your sight, Amaimon."

"Of course not, big brother," the Earth Demon responded in his monotonous voice. With that reassurance, he pulled me in closer to his side much to my embarrassment and Mephisto's chagrin if that frown was anything to go by.

I shook my head at the director's obsession with keeping me within arm's length at all times, unable to comprehend his complicated mind. Whatever he had planned for me—besides the obvious—I'd do well to discover quickly. Maybe the key lay in my memories? I'd been having some very intense ones lately, especially concerning demons in my childhood. Ever since that car incident, though, I'd never had another encounter with them...not that I recall, I mean. Then again, until these recollections began, my entire childhood prior to the accident was a blur. That was to be expected, of course. I had injured my head. I still had a faint scar near my hairline where the skin had split...

We came out into some woods...

Some very familiar woods...

Wait...

"Uh. Amai-kun?" I ventured forward a little bit only to be yanked back into a hard chest. Rolling my eyes, I allowed myself to be ensnared by the demon's protective arms. "How much time has passed outside of my room at Mephisto's?" I didn't want to think he had cheated on his bet, but...I wouldn't put it past the trickster...

"Ah. You are smart!" Amaimon praised, but, for some reason, his shocked tone irked me. "Brother knew you'd find out eventually, but was hoping to win the bet first. It's been three months."

Silence.

"I'm going to kill him..." I grumbled under my breath, but Amaimon still heard me with his demonic hearing.

"I don't think you can, but it would take him out of the game..."

My eyes widened at that, catching wind of a lead. Craning my head back to look up at him, I gave my best innocent puppy-dog look.

"So who all are in the running now?" I chose my words with care. If I outright asked what the game was, there was a chance he wouldn't tell me. If I acted like I already knew about it, then I could piece it all together on my own.

"Well, most of our brothers don't know about you yet, and Father said he doesn't want you to go to a regular demon. Big brother—the one you call "Mephisto"--made a foolish deal so he may lose soon," the Demon King remarked in a thoughtful tone of voice. His teal-colored eyes dropped to my face, a small grin pulling at his thin lips. "Don't worry. I'm safe. I only want to play with my little brother." With that, he released me so that I could take a step away and turn around to face him.

"Why are you nice to me, though?" I couldn't help but ask.

He looked surprised for a brief second before reverting to his neutral demeanor. "Brother told me to." His gaze moved past me before he suddenly leapt into the trees and disappeared.

I, meanwhile, felt something cold pierce my heart, but pushed the discomfort aside. I wasn't sure if I should believe him or not, but he was a demon and I was a human. What would be the benefit of being my friend?

Slapping my hands on my cheeks, I shook off such ridiculous thoughts. I needed to stop living my life this way—always thinking the worst of, not only myself, but of others and how they treat me. Since when did Amaimon ever really listen to Mephisto, anyway? And Mephisto was a mastermind, but I still considered him my friend. I may be a masochist and an idiot to place any trust in them, but I would lay down my life for Mephisto, Rin, and Amaimon. As crazy as the past couple weeks have been, it had been fun and they had taken care of me...

Although, they had kidnapped me in the first place!

"Ugh! Whatever!" I huffed aloud, stomping my way through the brush. It had been eons since I'd been in the forest, but I traversed the landscape with relative ease, avoiding poison ivy and any animal scat. Soon enough, I found the clearing I'd been searching for. Somehow, I hadn't gotten lost and even managed to discover the camp in this vast forest without a clue where they had set it up.

I chalked it up to Amaimon guiding me through his territory...

"Who's there?" a shout sounded on the other side of the brush—one I perked up at as recognition shot through me.

"Rin!" I called out in a tone that was far happier than I intended. For me, it had only been a week, but I greatly missed my only friend.

"M-Mana?" His face poked through the bushes, lighting up on sight of my undoubtedly-sweaty and leaf-strewn self. "What are you doing out here?" he demanded with a grin when I jumped into his arms, excited. He pulled me into the clearing where the others had heard the commotion. They gathered around us with questions of their own, making my shyness at their presence hit me full-force. It hadn't helped with Mephisto and Amaimon keeping me cooped up and cut off from them. My anxiety had grown worse, it would seem.

I squirmed out of Rin's hold, face burning a beet-red. "I--I..." My throat squeezed tightly with nerves. Only Yukio seemed to notice my discomfort right away as he'd come over, as well. I had a feeling that he knew at least a part of the reason why, but there was still a curious glint in his blue-green eyes.

"That's enough, everyone," he ordered in a strong voice, acting more like an adult in his twenties than a teenager like them. "Miss Feldman, will you help me and Miss Kirigakure prepare the tests? Everyone else, get back to setting up camp." He left no room for argument as he walked away, his hand at my back to guide me to the center of the half-finished chalk circle at the edges of the clearing. Throwing an apologetic smile back at Rin, I noticed that my friend did not look happy at the avoidance of his question.

"So who's the pretty chick?" an unfamiliar voice drew my attention forward. Sitting beside a collection of beer cans was a full-figured woman with blonde-tipped red hair pulled up into a ponytail. Her skimpy clothes—a bikini top several sizes too small and a pair of short shorts—made me blush darkly in embarrassment for her. The intricate tattoo emblazoned in a line down her front only served to draw the eye to her large breasts, tone stomach, and long legs.

I was beginning to feel self-conscious standing so close to such obvious beauty...

"This is Mana Feldman, a former student of mine. And this is Shura Kirigakure, an exorcist, First Class," Yukio made the introductions for us. Her magenta-colored eyes narrowed as they studied me. It felt unsettling to be in her presence as she gave off an aura of dominance and perception. My skin prickled at her gaze, but I remained as calm as I could, taking the silence of the moment to study my surroundings. Mephisto and Amaimon were nearby, I knew that. If I remembered correctly, this was the camping trip that would end in disaster. As much as I wanted to prevent Rin from getting hurt, I knew that it was the Director's way of strengthening him, too.

My chocolate-brown gaze found Rin struggling with propping up a tent for the boys. The canvas toppled over him right when he thought he was done, provoking laughter from the others.

"I just don't get it," Shura's voice slurred, already showing the signs of her drunken nature. I turned back in time to see her right up in my face. With a startled yelp, I took a step back, my body hitting Yukio's who steadied me.

"Get what?" I couldn't help but ask, curiosity getting the better of me. A whimper escaped me when she started lifting up my arms, hair, shirt, and so on, as if searching for something. What was it with these people and touching me?! It was as if they never heard of the proverb—"keep your hands to yourself" or had any sense of personal space!

Yukio saved me before things could get really awkward.

"Miss Kirigakure!" He stepped between me and the voluptuous exorcist, pushing his glasses up his nose. I went to search my own face for my pair of spectacles when I realized they were missing. I hadn't worn them for a couple of days...but it only occurred to me right now that I could see things quite clearly despite their disappearance.

"I'd appreciate if you don't assault my students."

"Hn? But I thought you said she was a 'former' student," Shura teased with air quotes to emphasize "former". The smirk on her face when Yukio's stern expression faltered seemed to ease the tension away. "Whatever. I still don't see what Mephisto is so obsessed over. She looks like a normal girl to me. Maybe a bit shy, but that's it."

She said all this under her breath and after she'd walked a good distance away. Somehow, despite that, I still managed to overhear her.

'Obsessed?' I thought to myself, confused by the notion that anyone could be interested in me. What part could I possibly play in Mephisto's plans? Even if I knew what the Demon King of Time ultimately desired, I highly doubted I was any more than a passing amusement for him... Although how my social awkwardness and lack of communication skills could possibly be any entertainment to the immortal was beyond me...

"Would you please assist me, Miss--" Yukio began to address me in that annoyingly-formal way once again until I cut him off.

"Mana," I stated in a forceful manner. "Call me 'Mana', Yuki-kun. Please?" I begged in my naturally-quiet voice, blushing at how childish I sounded. Luckily for him, he relented.

"Alright, Mana."

With a bright smile, I followed closely after him to the surrounding woods. Apparently, the three lanterns were already set up. What Yukio had me do was find good places to hide some talismans so the students could control the huge demon once lit, all the while trying to squeeze out info from me.

"Are you nervous around the other students?" Yukio questioned, his glasses glinting in my direction as I steadied myself on a low branch to put some slips of paper on a beam.

"Uh...well, I am shy and distrusting of others..." I admitted before slipping down the rough trunk of the tree I had used as a booster. "One on one is alright, but I don't like large groups."

To be honest, I didn't know if I should say that Sir Pheles had rearranged my education all on his own, without my consent. I doubted it would go over well if any of the faculty—much less, students—learned that their boss had usurped a student. Like Rapunzel in her tower...

I just didn't need a prince on a white horse to whisk me away to "happily ever after". If one ever did try to come along, I'd probably choke him with a poison apple for calling me a "damsel-in-distress"… Or feed him Mephisto's demon-flavored oatmeal...

"Well, I hope you've been keeping up on your studies. You were my top student...or you would have been if the kanji didn't confuse you..." the brown-haired teen chuckled at my look of dismay.

"Thanks to your tips, Yuki-kun! I've been studying and Mr. Director is an amazing teacher!" I praised, realizing what I said only after I said it. Heat flared in my cheeks as I knew that the subject of my compliment had just overheard.

His ego just got inflated more... Perfect. I was not looking forward to the gloating and consequent piles of homework being dropped atop my head. That had been school days this past week. As busy as he was, Mephisto had still managed to squeeze in some lessons in the afternoons. The rest of the time, I'd get homework and reading assignments. Because of my lack of understanding kanji—something I was too embarrassed to tell Mephisto about and he clearly hadn't known--I'd been pulling triple the workload than a normal student as I had to look up ones I didn't know.

"I do know a couple thousand kanji now, give or take..." I muttered as I thought about the late nights and early mornings. I thought I would have plenty of time to attempt to win the bet with the purple-haired demon, so I'd taken advantage of his cold indifference to my presence to soak up as much knowledge as I had the chance to. I had no clue that the conniving jerk had sped up time outside of the room I'd been staying at.

"Two-thousand? That's quite a feat, Mana. I'm impressed," Yukio gave his congratulations, clearly not expecting a foreigner to memorize such a complicated writing system so quickly. I did use some tips and tricks I'd found online. And I had already known a handful by heart, having taught myself off and on through the years.

"You've no idea," I breathed out in a sigh, referring to my week of hell over his three months of bliss. I waved him off when he gave me a questioning glance. "Anyway, how have you been with your classes?"

He looked startled when I asked him that. It occurred to me that, maybe, people tended not to ask him that. His maturity level did surpass that of his classmates and even many adults. No one thought to question him as he seemed so put together and, somehow, on a whole other level from them. I greatly respected the teenage boy myself, but I'd had it pounded in my head to always think of others first and foremost.

I really didn't think that was a good thing, but it did help in this occasion, at least.

"Things have been going well. It takes some time to get used to balancing schoolwork with teaching, but I think I've got the hang of it," he grinned, his eyes closing from the size of his smile. "My brother, however..." he gave a sigh, shaking his head at the concept of Rin and homework.

"Him and studying don't exactly go hand in hand, huh?" I mused, finishing his thought for him. At his nod, I giggled. "I'll try to help out as much as I can. Sorry for being MIA for so long. Time just slipped away..." I spoke the last sentence a bit louder, letting a certain someone know that he'd get an earful out of me in the future. It probably wouldn't do a thing to yell at the demon that could so easily end my fragile existence, but it sure as hell would make me feel better.

"You have no idea how hard it was to talk Rin out of breaking into the Director's home and bring you back. Even Mr. Faust, himself, had to calm him down." He paused here, a sheepish smile on his face while his hand came up to rub the back of his neck. "Of course, that didn't stop my brother from going to the president's office every day since. I'm pretty sure this camping trip was made to stop him for a few days..."

The shock barely registered in my mind as we finally headed back to camp. Hearing how Rin had tried to make sure I was safe felt like an unusual story to me. Yes, he was my friend, but I'd never had a friend like that before. At best, I had acquaintances in my life who wanted the shy, loner girl to listen to their stories about themselves, tell them they were amazing, and do whatever they said. That had been my experience with the few people I had let inside my hard shell. Never had I expected to be graced with someone who actually valued my friendship—as limited as it was.

Rin Okumura was definitely something, wasn't he?

When we got back to the clearing, Shura pulled me down on the ground next to her. Yukio started explaining the objective of tonight's test to my old classmates while Shura started a drunken conversation with me. Although I could tell she was still trying to pry information out of me, not that I blamed her. I'd be suspicious, too, if my superior suddenly took a peculiar interest in a complete stranger and became seemingly-possessive.

'Mine.'

I flinched at the ghostly voice piping up in my head. It was one of the same ones from the days right before I'd been taken to this world. It wasn't until recently that I'd begun to place it with its owner.

Mephisto Pheles—aka, Samael, the Demon King of Time and Space.

It was a memory. Something from my memories, anyway, but I couldn't remember the full thing. His voice sounded different now, somehow, which was why I hadn't put two and two together for so long.

"Are you shacking up with the president?" Shura blurted as soon as the others were out of earshot after having taken off into the woods.

I coughed on my water, just having taken a sip of it. It took me a minute to clear my airway before I could answer, face tomato-red. "No, of course not!" My denial was strong even though my voice shook. It wasn't like he didn't have that in mind, but I had no intention of letting that happen...maybe... "I do like him...but, no," I accidentally spoke aloud, slapping my hand over my betraying mouth when I realized.

"Ooh! So you like him, do you?" the red-blonde cooed with that shit-eating grin of hers. Her breath reeked of booze, making me wrinkle my nose in distaste as she hooked an arm around my neck. "What do you see in the guy? Seriously? He's one weird dude, if you ask me," she went on a tangent, all the while poking my searing-red cheek like that would provide her an answer. Suddenly, her tone took on a more-serious edge. In a more-steady voice, the exorcist female gave me a hard stare. "He's dangerous. Be careful, Mana-chan." With the blink of an eye, her dark face broke out into a drunken giggle, erasing all hint of the warning she'd uttered.

I cocked my head at her attitude, but disregarded her words. I already knew just how deadly Mephisto Pheles could be, but I could not quell these feelings growing rampant inside of me. Even if it killed me, I'd like to let these emotions loose rather than bury them deeper. Besides, I'd have to do it sooner or later. I still had a younger sister waiting for me to come back home...

'I wonder if I should tell them how old I actually am?' I thought, not missing the honorific the seemingly-older woman had given me. She was only twenty-six, I believe, so we weren't all that far apart in age. Mephisto, of course, knew how old I really was, but had insisted I attend the high school anyway so I could learn to protect myself in this world. According to him—and everyone else—I appeared much younger than my true age. Similar to how Mephisto looked quite young despite his centuries of life...

With my memories resurfacing, I was beginning to question if I was fully-human...

A disappointed sigh fluttered the ends of my snowy-white bangs. My thoughts had turned to the fact that if I did have other genes mixing through my blood, then they were quite passive. Other than looking younger and seeing demons—honestly, the latter was probably from Amai-kun—everything about me screamed "human". My strength was undoubtedly on par with Shiemi, as were my speed, coordination, and meek nature. I had brains—like Yukio—but lacked talent in every area but art. I could draw a summoning circle, no problem, but had zero luck in calling forth a familiar. About the only headway I was making in the form of being useful in battle was swordplay. Mephisto had been teaching me. I still had a long way to go...

A whistling sound caught my attention. My eyes spotted the firework soaring into the sky from a random spot above the trees. Night had already fallen while I'd been absorbed in my thoughts. I watched Yukio and Shura have a small fight about who would go first, and, as expected, Yukio lost. Being the more-responsible of the two, the brown-haired twin ventured off into the woods. I hesitated for only a second before taking off after him, stumbling a bit from sitting so long.

"Hey, where are you going?" the drunken woman called out, ready to chase after me.

"To help Yukio!" I tossed over my shoulder without a pause in my step. Shura didn't bother to stop me after that. Why would she? I wasn't one of the students, so I wasn't her responsibility. Not bothering with a flashlight—as I recalled the demon moths attracted to the light—I sprang along the path with quick steps, careful not to ensnare my foot on a root. Despite it being pitch-black, my eyesight proved better than it had in years as I could easily make out tree trunks and bushes that blocked my path. I'd have to speak with Mephisto about such improvements once I returned. There were quite a few things to discuss with him, it would seem.

Gunshots rang out ahead of me, letting me know I was close. I was about to break into the grove Yukio was fighting demons in when a pair of arms ensnared around my waist. Before I knew it, I was in the treetops. I clung to Amaimon's neck when I did the bad thing and glanced down, burying my face into his shirt. Mephisto floated somewhere nearby as I heard him growl.

"Scared of heights, I see," the violet-bearded demon observed. He only chuckled when I gave him a glare from my spot in Amaimon's arms.

"Only when I'm suddenly up in the treetops without any warning!" came my sharp reply. A whimper left me when the green-haired demon holding me decided to shift my position. Now, I was held horizontally—bridal style—with legs dangling over his arms. This action only served to bury my face deeper into Amai-kun's neck, shivering lightly at the loss of control I felt. Climbing trees had been a favorite pastime of mine as a child, but it was when I relinquished that control of standing on a sturdy branch next to the trunk that really gave me the jitters.

Or maybe I really was, simply, scared of heights...

"What's with that face, Brother?" Amaimon's voice rumbled against my ear, but I made no move to see what he was talking about as I didn't want to risk looking down again. "Is that jealousy I've heard about?"

Jealous?

"Shut up! Get on with it, Amaimon!" Mephisto snapped, voice full of irritation.

The Earth Demon King wasted no time in heeding his elder's order, speeding over the forest at an incredible pace. All thoughts I had about Mephisto and his possible feelings vanished at the terrifying feel of freefalling. I knew he still held me securely and all, but I'd be damned if this didn't have the sensation of a rollercoaster ride!

After what felt like forever—to me, at least—we finally stopped...and then dropped like fifty feet...

After struggling to swallow my heart back down my throat, I managed to peel open my eyes. We were at the edge of the camp, Amaimon's toes just short of the protective circle. Behemoth had, sometime along the way, accompanied us and was, now, panting heavily on the end of his chain. The large hobgoblin garnered the attention the demons had been seeking. All of my fellow humans—plus one half-breed—looked our way. Rin's face went from shocked to about twenty shades of red...

"Mana?!" he screamed with such fury that even I jumped, startled. Amai-kun was quick when he jumped back upon his youngest brother's advance, releasing Behemoth to deal with Shura—the only one who could potentially pose a threat to the ensuing battle.

Did they seriously just use me as bait?

What I was expecting even less than that? Amaimon replaying the scene from the anime almost word for word, but with me instead of Shiemi...

And he kissed me. In front of Rin and Mephisto, Amaimon, the Demon King of Earth, planted one right on my unexpecting mouth...

Fuck me...


	8. Trial

Devastating. Incredible. Humbling.

The fight between Rin Okumura and Amaimon, King of Earth was all these things and more. It also put into perspective how very, very small and pathetic I was compared to the entities of this world...

I felt like an ant in a world full of giants...

But that little reminder could not keep my feet glued to the forest floor, nor could it keep my lips sealed shut. When that Angel guy had come along and threatened to skewer a defenseless Rin, I found myself suddenly between the pair, arms outstretched and eyes defiant.

That was the moment I felt myself freeze. Not from fear, but from a memory. Hazy but vivid enough to leave me shook. Here, I had a sword slashing towards me. In my mind, there was a butcher knife...being held by a man with short, black hair and hateful blue eyes...

White covered my vision, blocking me from sight of the blonde man. The purple hair and that familiar hat were all the signs I needed to know that Mephisto had stepped in to block the fatal blow. From the corner of my eye, I saw Shura with her sword out and at the ready. She looked just as shocked as I felt.

"That's no way to treat a lady," Mephisto taunted the Paladin-level exorcist. With ease, the demon flicked away his sword with an elegant twist of his umbrella.

"M-Mana? Why?" Rin's voice at my back prompted me to turn my gaze away from our savior. I knelt to give him a helping hand to his feet. "You could've been killed, idiot!" He bonked me on the head with his free hand.

"So could you!" I shot right back with a glare, but refrained from causing greater physical harm to his already beaten and bruised body.

"You both are such a handful," Mephisto sighed in exasperation. I held my tongue while Rin threatened his principal, getting to my feet.

"Mephisto Pheles," Angel addressed, disgust heavily lacing his words, blue eyes glaring icily at the True Cross headmaster. "You are under arrest for harboring a spawn of Satan. Take these demons into custody!" he barked at the men who had accompanied him to the area, his long golden hair shimmering brilliantly in the coming dawn. His hard stare finally settled on my small, frail form still standing between him and Rin. An unreadable expression passed over his well-chiseled face before a look of pity sparked in those clear, blue eyes. His hand settled on my shoulder after sheathing his overlarge sword, an understanding smile gracing his lips.

"Lady, your heart may be pure, but it is misplaced. You've been tricked by demons," he began to spew nonsense. I tuned him out only to brush his hand off with a frown. "Go with your friends." He motioned towards the group of teens just yards away, all of whom looked positively-horrified by the truth behind Rin's heritage.

Amusement quirked the corners of my lips into a smirk—something I didn't do often. "I am with them," I replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Just in case there was any confusion, I inched closer to Rin and Mephisto. Both seemed surprised at my declaration as did the small class in the distance, even Yukio and Shura. I shuffled nervously as the silence grew until Rin pulled me into a hug and wouldn't let go. "Rin?" I mumbled into his neck, glad that no one attempted to pry us apart. I had no intention of allowing him to undergo that stupid trial on his own.

"Just need the support," he choked out. I caught on to the double meaning behind that statement, glancing at Mephisto. He didn't appear too happy, but he gave a sigh at my pleading stare.

"Might as well allow Miss Feldman to join us. Call her the 'character witness', if you wish," Mephisto gave me a wink, a smirk growing on his face. My heart leapt to my throat, but I kept my calm façade.

Whatever kindness or understanding Angel may have held for me previously vanished upon the realization that I'd chosen to be with demons over my own kind. And, what's more, I did so without hesitation. He didn't even bother to acknowledge my presence, just started to lead the way to Vatican Headquarters.

"Kid, you just picked a thorny path," Shura said from my side, looking amused.

"Good. More fun for me, then," I joked, honestly happy with the remark. Mephisto's chuckle from up front informed me that he'd heard my comment. Rin, too, gave a laugh, sobering up once he saw what used to be his friends turning their backs on him.

"You are weird, Mana-chan," he mumbled into my ear.

"They'll get over it, Rin," I reassured him, following his sorrowful gaze. Even Yukio averted his eyes. I fought the urge to stick out my tongue not unlike a child. During stressful or intense moments, I always seemed to get very unusual...as in, I would try to lighten the atmosphere with jokes or silly gestures. If my friends or those I cared about were particularly-affected by such travesties, then I was even more intent on brightening their spirits.

Before long, we ended up in what I assumed to be the innermost sanctum of True Cross headquarters. Awestruck by the vaulted ceilings and intricate carvings throughout the gothic architecture, I barely even registered the fact that there were people already gathered in the seats up in the balconies crowding the expansive walls. The podium before us—nearly two or three stories high—held three throne-like chairs. A single robed person sat at each of them, faces completely-obscured by their hoods.

The Grigori? I believe that was their title. A shorter pedestal stood in the middle of the room directly in front of the three strangers. It really did look like a courtroom, but not the American modern one I was familiar with. Which meant the Grigori were acting as judges.

Or judge, jury, and executioner...

I chewed the inside of my cheek when Shura yanked me to stay back as Mephisto and Rin advanced to the center of the cavernous room. It took me a moment to realize that the Demon King's hat was now on my head. My fingers stroked the brim of it while I gave an encouraging smile to Rin who happened to glace back. The surprise on his face made me snort as did the doubletake he did between myself and our school director.

"Sir Pheles!" one of the masked men addressed in a booming voice. Mephisto had seen himself to the top of the podium, looking as calm as ever. He even had a smile on his lips. Rin, however, was the opposite of anything positive. Worry, fear, and sorrow had his features twisted into nothing short of a pained grimace as he awaited whatever fate the Vatican had in store for him.

It took everything I had to hold myself back from running to my friend's side...

"You are accused of harboring the son of Satan--"

I tuned out the rest of this impromptu hearing, already knowing what would happen. Mephisto admitted to concealing the fact that he and Father Fujimoto had not slaughtered the twins when they were born. Vatican or not, it pissed me off that they would so heartlessly kill innocent newborns without a thought! It wasn't as if they could choose who their father was! Gods know I didn't...

Flashes of that face from earlier passed through my mind. Black hair, blue eyes, hate...I didn't recognize that man, but something was so very familiar about him...

"Come along, Kitten. Time to leave," Mephisto's amused voice drew me from my musings. I looked up to see that wide smirk stretching over his face, his fangs visible to all. Rin shuffled along behind him, his vivid blue eyes now burning with fiery determination.

Relief hit me as I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Despite knowing the outcome—and Mephisto's silver tongue—I still couldn't prevent that gnawing concern in the back of my mind. When had I gotten so attached to these two? Why did I so easily care for demons while almost disregarding humans?

Upon trying to give Mephisto's hat back to him, the demon refused. "Keep it on for now. I quite like seeing you in it," he drawled in a teasing voice. Rin was quick to jump on that, not missing my pink cheeks.

"Are you two together now or something?" the dark-haired teen growled, a tic forming on his temple.

"I have no idea what you mean," the Director of True Cross Academy trilled. "That would be quite unethical seeing as how she is my student." Despite his words, that didn't stop him from giving me a strange look.

Rin must have been able to interpret whatever message was there because he got between us with a snarl, grabbed my wrist, and began to drag me away. Stumbling after him, I shot Mephisto an apologetic look from over my shoulder. He did not appear happy although there was a smirk on his face. If looks could kill, Rin would be dead several times over. It got me wondering about something as we returned to the dormitory.

Could demons really feel emotions? Could they learn to love?


	9. Remembering

Kuro sat on my head as I traipsed after Rin like a little lost puppy. The cat sidhe and I had hit it off upon first meeting in the dorm the night of the trial. He was adorable and friendly. According to Rin, the twin-tailed neko thought the same of me.

A yawn escaped me as we headed to the classroom for some summer cleaning. Yukio had told us earlier about it without so much as a "hello" thrown my way. It irritated me, but I'd let it slide as I was too winded to care. I'd been staying in the dorm with the others again as Rin refused to let the "pervert" have his way with me. Mephisto hadn't fought it, oddly, and I had no choice in the matter. I'd reverted to my normal study behavior, training sessions with Rin, and waking the sleepyhead up at a decent hour.

I, however, was suffering from my friend's snoring every night as Rin had insisted we share a room for the time being. Although rough around the edges and quick to flare up at any perceived slight, the older Okumura twin possessed a trustworthy trait. He had grown protective of me and would never try anything. He was just concerned of Mephisto attempting such things although he'd never admit such in so many words...

Sleeping in the same room hadn't bothered me and we respected each other's privacy when changing. One would leave the room while the other switched clothes. I was used to it as I'd grown up with a male cousin or two my age and my mother babysat frequently for extra money to make ends meet. Rin, on the other hand, clearly wasn't as he'd grown up with monks all his life and had only a brother. No females, other than the ones in his school...

"Rin? Why did you build of fort?" I mumbled in a daze. I'd woken up that morning only to glance over at the other bunk to see a mound of pillows and blankets. Even Kuro had nowhere to sleep, so he'd come to curl up next to me...

It took me a while to dig through the mess to wake sleeping beauty there...

"Huh? Uh, no reason!" he rushed out in a nervous manner, sweating.

"Uh-huh," I hummed, not buying it. Did he really need to build a physical barrier to hide my presence? It wasn't as if we were sleeping in the same bed or anything of the sort. He really got nervous around the opposite sex...

"Shut it, Kuro!" Rin abruptly snapped, startling me enough to jump back a couple feet. "Oh, sorry, Mana. Forgot you can't hear him..." Embarrassed now—more so than before—he raced the rest of the way into the school and down the hall. I stared after him for a moment before following at a more-sedate pace.

"He's worse than a teenage girl in love," I breathed out while shaking my head at his unusual behavior. Kuro mewled loudly from his place nestled in my hair, as if agreeing with me. A smile pulled at the corners of my lips. "You know, it's not as if the second he leaves me alone, someone is going to swoop down and—"

"Ah! Kitten, there you are!"

I froze. Speak of the devil... "Did I just jinx myself?" I turned towards the voice behind me, ignoring Kuro's light growl at whom he perceived as a threat. As if the gods themselves were playing with me, there stood Mephisto Pheles in all his jester-like glory. Even his hat sat proudly atop his head since Rin had thrown it at him when we'd last seen him a couple days ago.

"Mephisto?" I spoke his name in confusion, already feeling the familiar heat stirring in my belly at his mere presence. I frowned at the knowing glint in his green eyes. I'd begun to notice that the feeling only came around when Mephisto was near. The embers had died for Rin and Amaimon. Speaking of Amai-kun...

I was about to ask his whereabouts when I noticed that the Demon King was not alone. Yukio had accompanied him. My jaw promptly shut and I coughed awkwardly into my fist, unable to meet the boy genius's eye. We'd only spoken a few curt words since Rin's trial. Most of those pertained to Rin and I sharing a room next door...

"I heard from Mr. Okumura here that you've been bunking with Rin Okumura, is that right?"

He came right out and asked. Straight to the point. Almost as if he'd read my thoughts.

"Uh..." came my clever reply, mind blank as I wasn't looking forward to this awkward conversation. I knew it was bound to come sooner or later, but I'd really been banking on the later.

Mephisto's gaze hardened at my obvious trouble with answering, but he never lost that carefree grin. Instead of pressing the issue further, he simply dropped it altogether and strode past me down the hallway, his boots clicking on the multi-colored tile. I tilted my head at the brush-off, a little hurt by the disregard, but recovered quickly when I realized I needed to be in the classroom, too.

I followed Mephisto and Yukio to the room just in time to see Bon punch Rin. Protective instinct surged through me at the sight and I flung myself at the bigger guy, effectively sending him back a few feet. Kuro's snarl said enough for the both of us as I settled for glaring at Suguro, Rin safely behind us, his blue flames licking harmlessly at my bare legs.

"Mana?" the larger boy recognized before narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists. "Why the hell are you protecting him?! He's a son of Satan!" The rest of their classmates had gathered behind him, Shiemi and Izumo hunched over as if attacked mere moments ago. I took in the scene with curious eyes. This was sort of like the anime but not quite. Mephisto's presence certainly had not been in the original timeline...

"He's my friend," I stated in a voice I'd use for a child not understanding a simple thing. "Who care who his father is?" Kuro jumped to my arms having leapt to the ground earlier to protect me and his master had it been necessary. "Baka," I muttered beneath my breath, loud enough for him to hear. The rage in his eyes shook his whole burly body. I was certain he'd have laid me out flat in the blink of an eye had I not been a girl. He held true to his old-school virtues, I'd give him that...not that I needed it. I'd claw his beady little eyes out if the situation warranted such. When it came to those I cared about, very little would stand in my way to keep them safe.

"Friend?! He's evil, Mana!" Even Konekomaru had spoken up against Rin, only to shrink back upon realizing he'd spoken aloud. I ignored their familiar use of my first name, used to hearing such in America and well-aware that "Feldman" felt unusual to say.

"Since when?" I bit back, flicking my eyes at Mephisto and Yukio who both seemed content to just watch this argument. I could feel my anger growing at everyone's outright stupidity in this world, but I kept reminding myself that everyone here had horrible encounters with Satan. It was him they hated and what he had done to their families. They took it out on Rin who turned out to be a convenient scapegoat. No, never mind the fact that Rin had absolutely no control over someone he'd never met except the one time the King of all Demons had tried to drag him to Gehenna...

I didn't even realize I'd spoken my thoughts aloud until the deafening silence registered in my head. Even to my own ears, I sounded cold and hateful. Mephisto looked amused, but everyone else seemed disturbed and clearly upset. Dare I say, even a bit ashamed.

A hand settling on my shoulder pulled my attention to Rin—who'd gotten to his feet—an unreadable expression on his face. Yukio seemed to know exactly what would happen next as he stepped forward and dragged Rin out of the classroom just as the latter started to scream and argue right back at his former friends. The door slammed shut behind the pair, giving them privacy for a brotherly discussion. I was pretty sure Yukio was simply warning his brother not to lose control of his flames or he'd have to kill him. Something the Vatican had informed him of, no doubt.

"If you're going to blame the kid for the father's crimes, then you'd better kill me, too," I spat in a low voice, passing Mephisto as I, too, left, not bothering to glance back to see their reactions. Rin and Yukio were nowhere in sight, clearly having used another room to talk, so I just left the exorcist school and started back on the trek to the dorm. Kuro mewled softly in my arms, but never left me. I could sense his concern, somehow, but tried my best to ignore it.

I finally remembered where I'd seen that man before—the one coming at me with a knife and loathing in his eyes...

It had been my real father.

That's right. He'd tried to kill me, one day, tired of simply abusing me with whippings and starvation. It had been my seventh birthday—my sister barely a year old—so I'd come home with cookies from my grade school teacher. I'd been ecstatic getting gifts for the first time and something sweet that I hardly ever got without a relative sneaking me some.

He didn't like it, though...

A sob choked me, tears gathering on my lashes at the memory—so vivid now—of the delicious treats crashing to the floor, my father's face a dangerous purple from how furious he'd been. My mother had stood off to the side—wide-eyed and frozen in terror—even as the knife found its way to the jerk's white-knuckled fist. I could remember thinking "why?" even as he raised the blade up, glinting in the little bit of light slipping in through the blinds. Instead of worrying about myself, though, my eyes had found the pudgy little face of my little sister and the horrifying image of such happening to her...

The ground jarred my body when I dropped to my knees, tears freely flowing down my ashen cheeks. How had I forgotten that? Was it repressed? It was certainly a traumatic experience, but I couldn't recall what happened after a flash of white covered my vision... My real father had died that day. I remember that now. The man I'd thought had been my dad all these years had simply married my mother a few months later. Until recently, all memories before that second marriage had fled from my mind...or had been buried so deep that they couldn't be recovered.

So, why now?

Kuro was yowling loudly at my knees, frantically running back and forth as I shook at the horrible memory. It took me a long time to even realize that there was a voice accompanying his unearthly screeches.

'Someone! Help! Help! Help! What's wrong, Mana?! Riiiiiinnnn!!!' It sounded like a child, almost. The voice reverberated in my head enough for me to conclude that I wasn't imagining things.

"Kuro?" I whispered before darkness clouded my vision and I crumpled the rest of the way to the concrete. I hadn't gotten far from the cram school classroom—barely even outside the door to the building it was in. Right before completely-losing consciousness, I heard an all-too familiar voice followed shortly after by a pair of arms sliding beneath me.

"Oh, Kitten," it called in a steady tone. "What shall I do with you?"

The pitch black soon made way for a snowy white...


	10. Fun in the Tub

My finger popped the soap bubble floating on the surface. A soft sigh escaped my lips at the myriad of thoughts still swirling in my head.

After I'd collapsed on the bridge, Mephisto had found me, drawn by Kuro's frantic cries. He told me he wanted to keep an eye on me so he'd, apparently, had someone gather my things—again—and took me back to his mansion. This time, he swore he wouldn't do the "time trick" again...

Rin hadn't been thrilled, but I was back to attending cram school so he kept his complaints to a minimum. It hadn't been many days since his "son of Satan" escapade, so the others weren't on speaking terms. They also avoided me and wouldn't look me in the eye. Izumo was the only one who, strangely, actually warmed up to the both of us and even somewhat defended Rin against the others.

Izumo was a pretty cool character, I'd say. She'd make an amazing friend...

Knocking on the door to the bathroom pulled me from my thoughts. I perked up and called out to whoever it was. Amaimon couldn't knock since he was, currently, in the form of a hamster, courtesy of his elder brother. Apparently, he couldn't shift back to human form and when I'd asked why, he mumbled something about a kiss and that was the end of that discussion.

"I have some clean clothes for you if you want them!" Mephisto's voice floated in through the door.

My cheeks flushed as I lowered myself deeper into the soapy water. Heat blossomed in my belly and I couldn't help but squirm at the fact I was naked with nothing between him and me but an unlocked slab of wood.

"Um. Come in then," I shakily gave him permission to enter, feeling more daring than I normally was. I couldn't understand why, but it had been increasingly-more difficult to keep my hands to myself these past few days.

The door swung inward at my words, revealing the smirking Mephisto—who wore nothing more than a simple yukata. "Hello, my dear!"

I sunk further into the frothy bath only to feel the strong urge to do the exact opposite the closer the demon came to the extravagant tub. I took the middle ground—with great difficulty—and draped my arms over the porcelain side and pushed against it so that it emphasized my average cleavage. The smirk on my face as I cupped my chin in one hand grew when the demon king lost all capability of speech once his eyes fell on my bubble-covered form.

I still wouldn't consider myself appealing, but I was glad that something so simple could make the usually-calm and composed president flustered. Red covered his pale cheeks, but he wouldn't turn his gaze from me. His tail had snuck out, too, twitching to and fro beneath the hem of his robe.

"Don't suppose you'd like to join me?" I purred out before even realizing what I was saying. It took every ounce of my strength not to bare all to him as my body seemed to have a mind of its own. I knew I'd made a deal to get home and all, but I really had planned on just buying time until I could find my own way or sweet-talk him into doing it himself regardless of the "game"...

So why was I feeling excited when Mephisto sauntered over and pushed down the top of his yukata? I couldn't pull my heated gaze away from his well-toned chest and torso. Pale, perfect skin met my appreciated eyes, outlining the visible abs he normally hid beneath his superfluous clothing. A strong grip beneath my chin yanked my attention up to the face of my—uh, the—demon. A smirk graced his lips when he caught my staring, his green eyes more demonic than ever as they returned such attentions to me. His tongue even came out to lick his lips, provoking a shiver from me despite the steam covering the bath.

"Are you sure you want to tempt me, Mana?" he breathed over my damp skin. The use of my name in his husky voice left me speechless. Staring up at him, I couldn't even nod, too frozen by the heavy atmosphere to so much as blink. Mephisto made the decision for me by pulling my face to meet his lips. His claws traced the pentagram on my chest lightly before slowly drifting down. I gasped into his mouth when his hand enveloped my left breast and squeezed. He took the chance and slipped his tongue between my parted lips, battling mine for dominance. I don't know how or when, but, at some point, Mephisto had crawled into the tub with me. The lower half of his kimono clung to his legs but that didn't stop him from pushing me up against the opposite side of the large bath. His tail had wrapped around my right thigh, the end teasing the sensitive skin of my inner leg. The claws of his free hand pricked at the small of my back, provoking goosebumps.

He only pulled back from our make out session when I ran out of air. And, even then, he simply moved down to nip and suck at my jawline. Lust had formed a rather-large ball of heat in my belly, by this point, screaming to be sated. When the demon's fangs poked and prodded at the fragile skin of my neck, a moan vibrated in my throat. I tried to smother it, but Mephisto growled at the attempt and moved the hand on my breast down to below the waterline. I bit back a gasp at the feel on my rear, face a bright shade of red and breath quick and shallow.

"Now, now. No holding back, Kitten," he chastised into my ear, green eyes flashing dangerously. "I'll make you scream my name someday," he promised, making my blush darken considerably.

Wait. Someday?

As if reading my mind, he answered my silent query. "As much as I want to continue this, I'm afraid I must decline." Mephisto got to his feet, turning around before his excitement could be seen. "I want you to want this. Not some other influence." He threw a look back at me who was attempting to cover myself with the soapy water. The strained expression on his face told me he was struggling to hold himself back. Although I was confused by his words, I stayed quiet, trusting him to tell me the situation later. "Hurry and get dressed. We've got a long night ahead of us."

And, just like that, he was gone. The puddles of water strewn across the tile were all the indicators that showed he'd been there.

My eyes landed on the pile of clothes stacked neatly on the counter. With a sigh, I got to my feet. Wobbly legs and overly-sensitive body threatened to send me crashing to the floor but I managed to drag the sopping mess that was my body over to the towels and clothes. The enormous mirror reflected my body back at me, and I stopped drying myself off long enough to stare at something that caught my eye.

A tic mark formed at my temple even as a blush colored my cheeks. With speed even a demon would marvel at, I yanked on my clothes and rushed after the retreating Mephisto.

"Mephisto! Why did you bite me?!"


	11. A Long Night

"A demon on campus?" Rin repeated the Director's words.

We were standing in his office—Mephisto, Rin, Yukio, and myself. Shura had, apparently, been sent off elsewhere on another mission. My hair was still damp and my skin flushed, but I'd covered up the mark on my neck with an impromptu scarf.

"But what makes you think it's a succubus?" Yukio just had to ask.

I felt myself freeze, the pieces of the puzzle quickly coming together. I didn't think I was possessed, but it definitely felt like an unusual energy had clawed its way in these past few hours...

"I have my sources," was all Mephisto would tell them, green eyes glancing at me. Yukio didn't miss the exchange, but he opted not to say a word. It wasn't any business of his anyhow, I suppose.

"Very well, I'll spread the word then."

"Make sure to inform your students. We'll need every hand we can get," the violet-bearded demon reminded his gifted exorcist with a toothy grin. Yukio merely nodded before dragging his twin along after him. I'd have left with the pair, but Mephisto had forbade me from leaving his sight. Now, I knew the reason why...

"So the succubus is influencing me?" I asked in a small voice, staring at Amai-kun running on his hamster wheel.

"It would seem so. And I don't like to share, Kitten." He was obviously teasing, but a serious tone ran underneath those words. "Especially when my youngest brother is already so close to you. You didn't share a bed with him, did you?" he didn't sound upset or demanding, but more...worried?

I finally looked over at him from my position on the sofa, surprised to see that usually-carefree or serious expression replaced by one of trepidation...

"No. Of course not," I reassured. "He wanted to share a room because he-uh..." the words died in my throat when I remembered the reason behind it. And look what ended up happening...

I coughed over the rest of the explanation, unwilling to revisit such sordid thoughts especially under my current "condition". Instead, I decided to revisit an earlier situation now that the twins were no longer here.

"By the way, Mephisto," I changed the subject, garnering his attention. "What's this?" I indicated the bite mark he'd left in the juncture of my neck and collarbone, pulling back the black handkerchief. Thankfully, the wound had closed—probably having something to do with the one inflicting it being a demon. It had also morphed from a "bite" to a pale mark in the shape of an hourglass.

"Ah, so you Marked her, Brother?" Amaimon's small voice squeaked from the desk. Mephisto whipped his head around to growl at him.

I blinked at the term, vaguely familiar with the multiple stories written about demons marking their mates. My fingers brushed over the slightly-rough skin on my neck at the thought. Were such things actually true? What exactly did that entail, though? He told me it was "just a game"...

That thought sobered me up a bit. I replaced the cloth, jumping to my feet, and about walked out of the office when Mephisto's gloved hand slammed into the doorframe right next to my head. Nerves fluttered about in my chest and it took all I had not to jump. The heat of his breath on the back of my neck made my knees weak and my heart race.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded in a whisper, snaking a hand around my waist to pull me into him. "With a demon of lust around, your inhibitions are gone and your pheromones are out of control," he explained in a strained voice, arms tightening around my shivering body. "Any demon would love to sink their claws into you. Even my little half-brother." His eyes flashed with anger and envy, before returning to normal.

"Why am I being affected?" I grumbled, mainly to myself, but Mephisto took it upon himself to answer.

Sort of...

"It's not the right time to explain, but, let's just say, that it's in your blood," he grinned in a carefree manner, releasing me from his iron-grip before guiding me to the large windows in his office. "We can watch from a distance. Just try to contain yourself." His smirk made me freeze when I realized I'd subconsciously slipped a hand beneath his shirt. With a yelp and an apology, I yanked the offending limb back. Embarrassment flushed my face a brilliant shade of red.

A long night, indeed.

"You always get all the fun, Brother," Amai-kun, the green hamster, decided to pipe up. He suddenly appeared on the brim of Mephisto's hat, probably sensing that we were ready to head out.

"That's enough out of you," the Director growled, but looked pleased by the statement, nonetheless. His hand then reached out towards me after summoning his magicked chair. "My Lady," he urged with a genuine smile, already-seated like a king on his throne.

Nervously, I placed my smaller hand in his white-gloved palm, letting out a gasp when he snatched me up into the air with him.

"Now, on to the show!" Mephisto announced with a flourish, making sure to keep me anchored in his lap so I wouldn't fall off. When the three of us suddenly appeared outside above the school—and I do mean above...as in very, very high above—my heart leapt to my throat and my fear of heights came crashing into me. I buried my face into my chaperone's neck, clinging to him like a frightened cat. His laugh rumbled in his chest before wrapping his arms around me and running his fingers through my long, white hair. The sensation of his hands petting me eased some of the shivering. I managed to sneak a glance below, catching sight of the group of kids chasing someone. We were far enough away that none of them seemed to sense that they were being watched. I wondered, though, if one would happen to glance up, would they even see us? Mephisto clearly had supernatural abilities and access to powerful magic. It would not surprise me to learn that he could shroud himself from anyone's sight if he so wished.

What must have been the succubus—a white mist-like substance—fled over the dark ground, leaving behind a glowing material on the grass.

I perked up at the sight, eyes wide and confused. Mephisto did not miss my abrupt call to attention.

"Do you see it?" he asked. "The succubus is leaving a trail of pheromone for her victims to follow. Normal people can't see it—even those with a temptaint. Demons, however..." he trailed off, but I'd gotten the hint.

I watched as Rin broke off from the others--who'd stopped to search the grounds—to pursue the demon. He was in perfect line with the slowly-fading path. Our classmates didn't even stand a chance at catching up with his demonic speed, quickly losing him to the moonless night.

Then it hit me like a bag of bricks...

"Wait. How can I see it?" I felt like I was asking this question a lot, lately. How could I, a normal human, see or do things that humans shouldn't be seeing or doing? This succubus, even... It hadn't possessed me, yet its mere presence had affected me. If its pheromones could do that to other human females, then I'd understand, but it seemed to only have singled me out.

Mephisto merely hummed, not saying a word. Disappointment at not getting an explanation to satisfy my curiosity urged me to seek retribution...or leverage. With care, I repositioned myself so that I was straddling his hips, his hat now on the table which had poofed into existence beside us. Amaimon had wisely chosen to remain on the opposite side of the crown, wishing to keep his eyes clean of the goings-ons between his brother and a female.

"Why won't you tell me anything?" I whined at him, my arms draped over the back of the chair so that he had to look up at me to see my face...or stare straight at my chest.

Needless to say, I was not behaving myself.

"Okumura, hurry up," was all he would say, causing me to frown at being ignored. Rather than fight back with words, I opted to take action, instead. My mind was in a haze, fuzzy from pheromones the succubus was putting off as it fought ferociously against Rin and his flames. I dove in for a kiss, claiming Mephisto's lips before he could deny me. To my pleasant surprise, he didn't put up a fight at all. He even seemed to welcome the intrusion upon his person. His blasé reaction, however, left something to be desired...

I smiled against his mouth when I heard his groan as I subtly moved my hips against his lap. He started to kiss back, his hands coming up to fist in my long hair and drag me closer. I would have gone further, my hand trailing down his chest and to his waist, but a jolt suddenly shot through me.

Like an electric shock, it snapped me to full alertness. I pulled away from Mephisto abruptly, covering my scarlet face with my hands and trying my best to ignore the way my legs were spread across his lap. The demon gave an annoyed sigh, his green eyes glancing down just as Rin sheathed his blade, the succubus nowhere to be seen.

"What a shame. I was quite enjoying that," he admitted in an amused tone of voice. Shivers traveled down my spine at the feel of his thumb stroking my right thigh. I bit back a moan that threatened to escape when his tongue gave one last lick up my neck. "Ah! By the way, Kitten," he stopped to say, nipping at my earlobe. "You do know that the semester is over, right?"

Time seemed to stop as the cold reality hit me like a slap in the face. It was summer break for the Academy.

But he had messed with time!

"Fuck you," I mumbled beneath my breath, glaring defiantly into his amused green eyes.

"Hn. Gladly," he chuckled back, snapping his fingers.

In a cloud of pink smoke, we vanished from the night sky, retreating to the Demon King of Time's mansion.

This was, indeed, a long night...


	12. Red Mists

Sore and exhausted.

That was how I woke up. Every muscle screamed in agony while my brain was too muddled and out of it to even figure out why. Warmth and movement at my side dragged me out of my hazy dreams. Scarlet mist and looming black walls made way for the gentle golden light of morning when I finally bothered to open my eyes.

Mephisto's sleeping face was the first thing to greet my vision...

Startled, I yelped and scrambled backwards. Thankfully, the bed was so large that I didn't go toppling to the hard marble floor... Of course, it was Mephisto's bed.

"Morning, Kitten," the devil purred, his light slumber shattered by my frantic wakeup call. With a clawed hand, he reached over and grabbed my wrist to pull me back to the mattress. The action left my face buried in his bare chest. Fortunately, I could feel cloth against my own skin...or as much as you could feel a short spaghetti-strapped night-gown. "Did you sleep well?"

I could only mumble my response before breaking out into a coughing fit, face growing warm. Mephisto pulled me back when the coughs subsided, studying me with worry furrowed between his brows. He rested the back of his hand against my forehead and shut his eyes for a moment. With a sigh, he dropped his arm and allowed me to slump against him.

Oh, good. He was wearing pants. Such a silly thought, but it was a nice reassurance to learn that nothing lewd had taken place the night prior.

"Seems like you have a fever, my dear," Mephisto informed. "You'll have to stay—"

"No!" I denied the order he was about to give, hating the idea of lying in bed all day. "I've got to go to class. I need to find a way back." Thoughts of my sister floated around in my head. My concern over her well-being had never gone away or even eased up in the slightest. Now that Mephisto's deal was off the table—even with him cheating at it, though that hadn't been against the rules—I was forced to find another option. Education in the exorcist cram school was the only route I could see to achieve that.

"Are you really that desperate to get away from me?" the Demon King of my thoughts spoke. His tone was none that I'd heard come from him before—neither in my presence nor in the anime. An air of sadness and desperation seemed to cling to each word.

I shook away a wave of dizziness as I looked up at him, brown eyes wide with surprise at the despondent expression on the demon's usually-conniving face.

"N-no..." I stuttered out, whipping my head around so that he couldn't see my crimson cheeks. "I just want to know if my sister is alright..." The admission fell from my dry lips in a choked whisper, the reality that I may never see her again hitting me hard. I just needed to see her with my own eyes, hear her voice, and put any fears she had to rest. She had to be okay. The last time I saw her, she was unconscious—knocked out cold by the appearance of two demons appearing to her room—and fictional ones at that.

"What if she's freaking out? What if she needs my help? What if she gets kicked out by getting into a fight with our mother?" my incessant rambling—growing increasingly-more frantic as my head imagined horrible scenarios—was abruptly cut off by a pressure against my lips.

Mephisto was kissing me which caused me to relax in his hold against my will. After a few seconds, he pulled back. His sharp claw trailed slowly down my cheek, his trademark grin in place on his lips. He appeared genuinely-happy. Maybe because it wasn't him I was denying but the fact that I'd never be able to protect or be there for my sister...

"When the time comes, I'll gladly take you to her," Mephisto chuckled at my confused stare. "I'll explain all in due time, love. Just, please, rest up today. I can't have my best student getting sick."

After a bit more convincing, I ended up changing into loungewear—a simple white T-shirt and black loose-fitting pants—before Mephisto claimed to need to head to the store for some necessities. Why he bothered to do that rather than magick it into existence was actually explained to me.

He actually had to have the items to summon them. He couldn't simply make them out of nothing, apparently. When I'd mentioned how that sounded like Alphonse's "Law of Equivalent Exchange", he'd geeked out and proposed to me right then and there... Amai-kun had even been in the room...

After that whole awkward situation, I was, finally, left to my own devices.

Which I promptly used to my advantage by changing into my school uniform and fixing myself up the best I could before leaving through a random door with a key I still had. Either I was a decent little actress or he really didn't think I'd disobey him...or he was floating above my head somewhere seeing if I would do just this... Whatever the case, no matter how sick I was, I did not want to stay cooped up all day...

I pushed open the door to the cram school, glad that I wasn't late. Rin was the first to greet me before I even had a chance to look up from my feet, the others slowly following suit. Seeing and hearing them all apologize—their voices jumbling together—left me stunned, to say the least.

"Um...why?" I mumbled with my flushed face and erratic heartbeat. Rin seemed to notice something was up, but said nothing.

"You were right," Bon, surprisingly, said. His cheeks were pink and his eyes cast to the side. "Blaming Rin for Satan's sins was stupid. Kids don't get to choose their parents." I had a funny feeling he was thinking of personal experiences rather than Okumura right now. He stuck his hand out suddenly, startling both myself and Rin—some of the others, too.

"Let's not be enemies, okay?!" he growled with narrowed eyes, yet there was still a hint of a blush on his cheeks and his shoulders hunched defensively.

Although he worded it differently, I could tell this was his way of asking if we could be friends.

Without any more hesitation, I clasped his hand in my own, a smile on my lips. He jolted at my touch but shook before, quickly, pulling away, face a brilliant shade of scarlet.

I bet he wasn't used to girls...

A tickle in the back of my throat provoked another round of coughing. Rin had to support me as I threatened to drop to the ground, my body growing weak. It passed quickly enough but left behind a raw ache that was far from pleasant.

Red mist began to creep into my vision—although very, very faintly—along with strange shadows that skittered about. A feeling like ice plummeted into my stomach and I visibly started to shake. I could see Rin and the others perfectly—their concerned faces crowding around my prone body—but it was almost as if another layer had been plopped right on top. I knew Rin couldn't see what I was seeing, as a black something fluttered right at the tip of his nose yet he didn't so much as blink. Yet I couldn't imagine all this being in my head, it was much too real.

"You have a fever, Mana. You're burning up," Shima's cool palm cradled my face. The physical contact kept me calm despite the altered reality only I was privy to.

"You shouldn't push yourself when you're sick, idiot!" Suguro chastised but kept his voice soft so as not to cause me further pain. The others were quick to agree, Rin even going so far as to, literally, sweep me off my feet so he could carry me back to the dorm.

'It'sssssss...youuuuuu...' a disembodied voice hissed from the red mists that I knew, somehow, belonged to Gehenna. I swallowed my fear and ignored the whisper, forcing myself to appear normal despite the situation.

"I'll be taking Miss Feldman back, Okumura," Mephisto's voice echoed throughout the classroom, making everyone freeze. I tensed at the hard tinge of agitation in his voice, feeling myself being handed off to the True Cross Academy president despite Rin's feeling towards him. Mephisto must have been giving off a dark aura because no one said a word as we walked out the door. I gave a wave over the billowing white cloak at the stunned exorcists-in-training so as to ease their concerns. Some of them visibly-relaxed, but Rin could compete with a wooden board, he was so stiff.

The mist smelled like sulphur, making me cough again to get the stench out of my nose. My eyes watered and my skin felt hot—burning, almost. The bridge outside offered little relief as "Gehenna" seemed to be here, too...

"Oh, dear," Mephisto's voice roused me from the waves of dizziness now crashing over me. "Looks like we just can't catch a break today..."

My gaze followed his line of sight, only to see the familiar smug grin of Arthur Auguste Angel blocking our path in all his brilliant glory.

Instead of paying attention to the long-haired blonde and his hooded escort, my eyes rose to see the tall ebony-black spires behind him.

"Satan..." I mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper, my gaze focused on the blue-lit figure wavering in and out of existence as it stood atop a tower. Then, I promptly passed out.


	13. Chained

The mist gathered around me like a comforting blanket while chains dug ruthlessly into my skin. When next I'd awoken, I had found myself back in that familiar courtroom but minus Mephisto, Shura, or Rin. I'd even have taken Yukio, at this point, despite the cold shoulder he'd been giving me.

"Mana Feldman!" one of the Grigori shouted down at me, his sharp voice making me flinch. I still had a fever and my vision swayed dangerously, so anything and everything hurt my overly-sensitive body. "You stand accused of being a life brought back through forbidden means. What's more, it is thought that you have even fraternized with a demon."

I snorted at the ridiculous accusations, far-more interested in the whereabouts of a certain demon king.

My eyes followed the shadows skittering about. Many crowded around the people gathered in the balconies while a few climbed the Grigori themselves, as if drawn to them...

'Darkness lies in everyone's hearts...'

My jaw clenched at the snake-like apparition coiled by my lap. I had been forced to kneel on the floor as a sign of "subjugation", according to the ever-obedient Angel. He wore his name rather well. He lacked the free will and morality of an actual human being, instead, dedicating himself to carry out whatever whim or order the Vatican saw fit to give him. Considering how they seemed to like playing God—and, dare I say, believed they knew better than He—it was quite poetic, in a way.

I'd come to realize the mists and creatures I saw that no one else could, were, indeed, Gehenna. But it was Assiah, too. They hadn't melded, like I'd first thought, or else the exorcists gathered here would surely have taken notice by now. Neither Rin nor Mephisto had seen it all either.

There was another explanation. One that had always been in the back of my mind, ready to strike when I least expected it to. One that the car accident had severed, but Mephisto's meddling had mended...

While my body sat in Assiah, my soul wavered in and out of Gehenna. I couldn't control it. I didn't even understand how I was doing it or even why I had such an ability in the first place. All I knew was that I could experience both realms at once. Like I was in the doorway to two rooms; one foot in each. I was walking a line—teetering on it, really—struggling to keep myself from being ripped in two.

"Take it away!"

A rough grab at my shirt collar dragged me to my feet. They shoved me forward, causing me to stumble. Angel caught me, proving that I had a new guard and he was not as friendly...

"Shouldn't we end her suffering now? As painlessly as possible?" the blonde man questioned, his blue eyes glaring at the man over my head who had handled my obviously-sick self so harshly.

"You dare to question the Vatican's orders?" a gravelly voice growled from behind me. A yank on my chains—strapped to my wrists, ankles, and neck—brought me careening back to the hard, unyielding ground. A yelp shot from my throat at the pain coursing through my back. The mist got sucked into my lungs from my gasp and elicited a coughing fit. I sounded horrible even to my own ears.

"See? That proves she is one of the dead brought back," the burly guard pointed a thick, dirty finger at me, as if me being sick proved his point.

If I had been brought back from the dead, I wouldn't be dying. Mephisto's magic was much too good for that. He'd never make such a blatant error.

I must have spoken aloud because my jailor laughed at my words.

"You really are smitten with your demon master!"

Angel, meanwhile, just stood there and watched. A mixture of pity and disgust swirled in his eyes when the guard hauled me to my feet once more and led me off into a side hallway. The heavy iron links made movement difficult, and walking near-impossible. My lungs were already gasping for air from illness and here I was being forced to basically jog in chains that weighed a ton just to keep up with this man's long strides.

Long white curls clung to my skin, made damp by the sweat my fever had worked up. Dark eyelashes fluttered over glazed, dull brown eyes. The tile beneath my shoes gradually shifted to black dirt then back again. The creatures—demons—slowly became aware of my existence. They started to follow, keeping me company on this lonely cold walk to my inevitable end.

Mephisto. Where was Mephisto?

"Get in there," my captor growled, shoving me into an unfamiliar room. No. It was a cell...with straps on the walls and a tank attached to a machine of some kind.

The sulphur in this room reeked. The denizens of Gehenna seemed to smell it, too, as they hissed and skittered about. Most ran out, only a few hobgoblins remained—Amaimon's kin. Those that stayed, huddled close to me, as if to protect me. Sadly, they couldn't do a thing as the human male secured me to the stone wall. My arms stretched above my head and my ankles were secured to the floor so I couldn't kick. It was only when two more came in—dressed like exorcists but with medical patches emblazoned on their person—that it hit me that something more was going on.

I screamed and struggled as much as I could, refusing to go quietly or do whatever they wanted me to do. My illness dragged at my movements and made my reactions sluggish, but I fought past that. Even the hobgoblins made a ruckus, slashing at where the people holding me down were at...but without any success. They were still in Gehenna and I was in Assiah. Maybe they could see what was happening around me since they were demons and had a heightened sensitivity to whatever magick was transpiring here.

"Do it now!" one of the exorcists cried as he and the guard wrestled to restrain my thrashing around. I bit his hand, hard, when he covered my mouth to muffle my cries. His blood washed into my mouth, the metallic taste causing me to spit it back out.

"Mephisto!" I shrieked as something was jabbed into my left arm. A second later, another sharp object pierced the skin right next to the first. The machine was turned on and I felt a pull.

A dialysis machine?

Silence fell for a brief moment during my confusion...and then all Hell broke loose.

White-hot pain surged through my fragile body, consuming me in an inferno of agony. The mists of Gehenna became more like they were in my dreams; the demons, too, were no longer shadowy figures of themselves, but appearing more like they would in person. The stench of rotten eggs soon became overpowering and my cries unbearable. My own screams were lost on my deaf ears, but I could still feel them tearing my throat to shreds. Unbelievable torture—that's what it felt like. Like a dozen swords being skewered through my organs, every bone breaking and repairing only to break again, and every illness I'd ever had rolling into one to give me the worst skull-splitting headache no human had ever felt before.

And the burning.

I'd rather lie down in someone's campfire than burn in these hellish flames! I swear I saw blue fire lick at my cheek when I chanced to open my eyes.

The vial looked like black liquid as it stood next to the machine pumping its contents into my veins, replacing my human blood. I knew what it was. The second it entered my veins, I could tell.

Tears flowed freely down my ashen cheeks even as I fell silent, unable to so much as whimper, I was too far gone.

'Why?' was all I could think as I drifted away, the hobgoblins clawing desperately at my legs only to scamper off at long last.

Why was I being pumped full of this stuff?

Of demon blood...


	14. Family

I died. I died several times actually. Each time I did, one of those three sadists would revive me, somehow, and the screaming and pain would start all over again. The two medical exorcists had the decency to at least look uncomfortable at doing such horrid things to another living creature. The guard, however, seemed to enjoy it...

'A demon's whore,' he continued to call me every time the two were ready to give it a break. I was nothing to pity as I'd willingly given myself over to "one of them".

Granted, I'd only heard some of these snippets of conversation when I'd go in and out of consciousness. It felt like hours had gone by before the machine finally indicated the process was complete with a series of shrill beeps.

'I've seen you before,' a deep, dark voice echoed in my head. Curiosity had me straining to open my eyes—now a deep, honey-gold. I froze at the sight staring right back at me, but, strangely, I wasn't afraid. Just surprised.

You don't come face-to-face with Satan, himself, every day.

He was different than I imagined him to be. He had possessed Father Fujimoto last, so I expected his image to greet me. What stood proudly before me, however, was no father of the priesthood and exalted Paladin...but a handsome young male with a cold air about him. No laughter—not even a hint of a smile—no crazed gleam in his eye, nothing. He kind of reminded me of a fanart I'd once seen: past-the-shoulder-length white hair, alabaster-like skin, an effeminate face, a slender body, and black robes. His eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue as Rin's. And, just like all demons I'd seen thus far with human bodies, Satan had a tail, fangs, claws, and large, pointed ears.

"Satan?" It wasn't really a question. I, somehow, knew it was the King of Demons, himself. No question. He looked so familiar...

"I told you she was a demon's wench." A hard slap to my face snapped my head forcibly to the side. A whimper of pain escaped my lips and I tugged hard at my imprisoned arms. Every movement, every breath I took, it all hurt. Hell! "Hurt" couldn't even properly begin to describe the unbearable torment my bruised and battered body was undergoing right now!

Satan growled—actually snarled—at the male's actions. Normally, such actions from someone I'd just met—disregarding of the fact that they're the Devil, Himself—would surprise me. But, currently, I was so far gone that it hardly made an impression.

"Samael..." I shuddered, his real name the last breath on my chapped lips before I went limp against the chains binding me to the wall.

"Leave it!" my uncaring captor demanded when the other two rushed forward to check my pulse. "Orders are to leave it overnight. If it's still dead tomorrow morning, then we'll dispose of its carcass."

"What an uncouth human," Satan spoke in a disinterested way, watching as the three left and locked the cell door behind them. He then turned back to me. I could hear his footsteps, see his figure, breathe his scent in. All of this, despite being "dead". "Your body is in Assiah," the white-haired demon-god explained as if he could hear my thoughts, "but your soul is in Gehenna."

"Why?" I managed to speak, no longer feeling my heart beat against my ribcage or see the cell my body had died in. "What are these memories I have? I had friends who were demons? I've been to Gehenna before? I've met Mephisto before? And you?" I looked up at him from beneath colorless, white lashes, tears threatening to fall at the amount of frustration and stress that had been eating at me for weeks. "What am I? What the hell am I?!"

My dismay must have amused the prideful devil. He smirked at my cries, not unlike a certain time-meddling son of his.

"What are you?" he repeated, laughter now bubbling into his once-emotionless voice. "A child of the one who left the Garden. I always expected you to come back."

"Child? Garden?" I whispered, confused. A flash of white hair and golden eyes passed through my memories. A tanned slender hand shattering the blade of a knife without getting cut; that same hand silencing the mad ravings of my father; a gentle smile... All of it brought to mind a parent with a loving heart I'd always yearned for but never got...

Or so I'd believed.

"I do hope he explains things to you soon," Satan gave an exasperated sigh when he approached me, palm stretching over my face. "It just won't do to have someone so clueless in the family." With that, a flash of blue and I was out like a light.

Family?


	15. Changes

I woke up feeling much better than I'd felt in ages.

Strong, healthy, and relaxed. What a nice change from pain and suff—Ouch!

When I actually moved, the agony decided to strike. It had dulled considerably, but still left me feeling like an overused—and, possibly, busted—punching bag. My nose twitched at the now-familiar scent of rotten eggs. The horrible experiences from before—still fresh—flooded my mind and I did a fast track to Wakesville.

My eyes snapped open and I scrambled to my feet, my white hair...fur moving gently in the...wind? Wait...why did I have four feet...or paws? And a tail? My ears twitched atop my head at a familiar chuckle. Before I could pinpoint the source, a pair of lavender gloves picked up my tiny body. A hiss escaped my mouth at the pain in my ribs and internal organs. Soon enough, I came face to face with the man I'd literally thought about as I died.

'Mephisto!' I cried out in joy, pouncing on his chest after squirming out of his hold.

"Eins, zwei, drei," he uttered the spell in a gentle voice, lightly tapping my small feline body. A poof of smoke and I was in human form once again. "My little Kitten..." he purred, burying his face in my neck and breathing in my scent. I stayed cuddled up against him, simply content to be in his arms. "I am so sorry, my love. Had I known they'd planned on taking you, I'd never have left you," his words were strained, his body even beginning to shake with raw emotion. I froze, wondering just how much he knew. He must have been the one to find me...

"How... How am I here?" I asked, unable to specify what I meant. The last thing I remembered was Satan burning me after I'd died in the Vatican's cell. Now, here I was, in Mephisto's lap as he floated in his chair high above his school where Rin was being bled dry by a bunch of priests. Seeing my friend in such pain about killed me again, but Mephisto had such a tight grip and I doubted I would be able to be of much help anyway in such a pitifully-weak state...

"Amaimon's hobgoblins told him about what happened. They heard from their brethren in Gehenna," his voice was taut and wavering. "I'd thought your awareness was returning, but I had no idea how quickly and strongly it was coming. You definitely are a special case." I pulled on his beard—lightly—to encourage him to continue as he went off into dreamland about whatever "specialty" he believed me to possess. He took a moment to swat my hand away with a disapproving frown before continuing. "Amaimon and I found you...dead...in that cell; and then our father's flames consumed you..." he trailed off, covering his face with his hand.

I shifted uncomfortably in his lap. Remembering the "deaths" made bile rise in the back of my throat and I, subconsciously, pressed closer to the demon I'd grown quite fond of. "So I came back to life?" I managed to squeeze out in a voice that couldn't even qualify as a whisper.

"Yes. With certain...attributes," he added, grabbing onto something flicking behind me.

I yelped when I felt his touch, a blush rising into my cheeks. A white, tufted tail twitched in his gloved hand. My eyes went wide and I explored other parts of my body. My wandering hands found the complete set—fangs, ears, tail, and claws.

"And those pretty brown eyes are a beautiful gold now," Mephisto praised, his own green eyes staring into my face. "I shifted you into the form of a cat to get us out without trouble." He glanced off to the side then, a sadistic grin pulling on his lips. "Well, after I took care of a loose end."

I tilted my head at his words but couldn't help but ask. "That guard..."

I received my answer at the flash of anger in his gaze and a sinister chuckle. Not wanting to nurse mental scars as well as physical, I let the matter drop.

I pushed myself up and kissed him of my own volition. No succubus influencing me. No need for him to start it. Nothing of the sort. It just felt right.

The hourglass mark on my neck gave a pleasant burn when he kissed back.

"Since Father made her a demon, does that make her our sister, Brother?" a familiar voice squeaked above our heads.

Mephisto growled against my lips at the interruption. I giggled at the innocent inquiry before reaching up to gather the green-furred hamster in my hands.

"Hello, Amai-kun," I greeted with a smile, ignoring the dull ache in my body every time I moved. The cuts, punctures, and bruises from my ordeal had all healed thanks to the demon blood now coursing through my veins, but it would take more time for my human mind and heart to disregard the ghost sensations they left behind. "I'm pretty sure I'm your sister now, in other regards." My eyes gazed questioningly at the purple-haired demon who was grinning widely at my words.

"That depends. You never gave me an answer," he teased, one hand—ungloved—lightly touching the mark he'd branded me with on my collarbone. I shuddered against him, settling Amaimon on Mephisto's shoulder where he'd be more comfortable.

"On one condition," I raised a finger to emphasize my point, golden eyes determined. "Tell me: why did you choose me?" It was a question that had been bothering me for a while, especially after Amaimon had first muttered his understanding of the situation. Not only had Mephisto actively-hunted me down—picking me out of an entire world full of people—he'd gone to another dimension to do so. Apparently, I had a few "talents"--seeing the other side and interacting with it—but there were hundreds of people who did the same in this realm! Not to mention, they could do more. They could fight, chant, exorcise demons, and some could use magic spells! I had to learn kanji when I first got here...

Mephisto gave me an unreadable look; Amaimon even lapsing into silence. The only sounds were from below when the old man's "Jacob's Ladder" plan backfired terribly.

"You really don't remember, do you?" the King of Time wondered aloud, his green eyes soft but mysterious. He raised my chin to better meet his gaze, leaning close enough for our noses to touch. I blushed at the spark that rushed through me at the simple contact.

"I--I remember...parts..." I tried to explain, cheeks burning with embarrassment at my lack of knowledge on the subject. I did recall Gehenna, thanks to Satan's influence, and most of my time there. As a child, I had no control of my abilities then, either; and, when I'd sleep, I'd actually end up there, somehow. How my soul could cross over dimensions and into what I thought was only an anime would forever escape me, but it had happened. I finally remembered that black palace with the blue flames...

"I've been in Satan's home before, haven't I?" I asked, still unsure of my jumbled memories. One look at his smirk and I had my answer. "And you found me wandering around?" A faint memory of fancy clothes and bright-green eyes resurfaced in my head.

"Hn. You were a handful as a little girl," Mephisto chuckled, propping his head up with a gloved hand. "Even so young, your presence drew all manner of demons trying to take you as their future mate. Mark you for their own selfish conquest. My brothers and I had quite a bit of fun fending those pathetic creatures off in those days." His eyes took on a reminiscent gleam before continuing. "And then, one day, you vanished. Never came back. But not before leaving your mark," he spoke with a meaningful stare.

Swallowing my pride, I decided to risk a guess. I didn't remember it quite yet, but I had a feeling that I was the one responsible considering the shape.

"The pentagram on your back?" I questioned, nerves making my voice small and wavering. Ducking my head at his nod, I gave a sheepish apology. "Sorry..."

"Don't be. It's what led me to you when your true self began to awaken," Mephisto chastised, tilting my head back up. "If I had wanted to, it would have been a simple case to remove it. I chose you, my dear."

I was not expecting to hear such admission come from the ever-mysterious persona known for his mischief and trickery. Sincerity coated his words and voice like sugar; and just as sweet.

But that still left one last pressing matter...

Bolstering my courage—probably thanks to the overbearing presence of Satan entering Assiah through the Gehenna Gate—I rushed out one final question.

"What's so special about being Lilith's daughter?"


	16. Matter of Time

"Rin!" I shouted with as much volume as I could muster, straining to get his attention. My white tail flicked in irritation behind me as I waited for the raven-haired demon to pull it together. My golden eyes flashed briefly at Yukio—his demonic features clear to my hawk-like gaze. The wooden sword in my hand reassured me as I clenched it tightly, strong and powerful in my grip. By no means was I an expert, but I was clearly doing better than the wannabe-Paladin.

"Way to go, Mana!" Shima called out from the sidelines, excited by the display.

"Okumura..." Suguro growled in disappointment from his pink-haired friend's side.

Shiemi seemed concerned but cheered for the both of us, nonetheless. Izumo and Konekomaru hung in the back, watching and giving advice where they could—Koneko, nicely; Izumo...not so much.

"Mr. Okumura, I do believe you have had more training than Mana, yet you're the one on the ground," Mephisto chuckled with a hand on his face. Despite his words of disappointment, his expression showed pride. It had been his teachings that brought me to this level. The newfound demonic strength simply helped give me an equal footing.

"This training session's been going on long enough," Yukio sighed, giving me a smile when I threw him a thankful look. "Let's end here today."

"I'm going swimming," I declared, rushing off with Izumo and Shiemi in tow before anyone could say a word. It was a scorching summer day and the beach sounded amazing after a hard workout...especially against Satan's youngest son. Although, I could tell he held back... My male friends just stared at my unusual playful display—still not used to the shell-less nature—while the academy president laughed out loud.

"What about suits, Mana-chan?" Shiemi managed to stammer as she struggled to keep up with my quick strides.

Slowing down, I gave the blonde a fanged grin and a "V" for victory sign. "Paku has us covered!"

"You planned this, didn't you?" Izumo accused, but there was a hint of a smile playing about her lips.

I could only give a hearty laugh at that, my shyness forgotten in the presence of my newfound happiness.

'Daughters of Lilith are rare. They are the link between demons and humans. They have the power to walk the realms and freely pass through them, without a gate. You probably have siblings. We can find them someday, if you'd like.'

I recalled Mephisto's words the day Satan was pushed back into Gehenna. We still hadn't learned why the Vatican had pumped me full of demon blood or if they even knew I was an offspring of the one who'd willingly left the garden of biblical lore. Our best guess had been that they had simply experimented on me because I'd been there and was a convenient subject to test on. Mephisto was going to keep a closer eye on them from now on.

"Oh, there's Jen," Shiemi abruptly pointed in the distance. "Over here!" She waved at the other blonde as the girl ran across the courtyard, dressed in the standard uniform.

Mephisto had stayed true to his word, taking me back to my sister. He even one-upped me by inviting her back to True Cross Academy as long as she did one teeny, tiny favor back in return for the education and chance of a lifetime...

"Geez, you guys are late!" the curly-haired girl huffed as he came to a skidding stop in front of us. Her warm, brown eyes flashed with excitement when she realized what our presence meant. "Can we finally go swim now? I want to get into the water before the pervs get there!" She gave me a meaningful look, having labeled Mephisto as a pervert after hearing about a few of the things he'd done during my time in this world. I blushed darkly at the thoughts filling my head before grabbing her wrist and stomping in the direction of the bus that would take us to the beach. The other two laughed at the sisterly display, even Izumo.

"Eins, zwei, drei!"

A poof of pink smoke and the four of us suddenly found ourselves at the ocean. We blinked, confused and disoriented before someone pulled me into an embrace from behind just as the boys came running up to us, dressed and ready for the ocean.

"You should learn by now that my magic can come in handy, Kitten," Mephisto's voice whispered into my ear, his arms hooked securely around me. He'd pulled us behind the changing rooms, out of view of my younger classmates. "So easily excited," he continued to purr, nipping at my earlobe. I shivered against him, glad that no one seemed to be on this side of the building.

"Samael," I breathed his true name, feeling him shiver, for a change. I took advantage of the momentary slip in his defenses to turn around in his hold. "I love you," I admitted the feelings that had been there from the very start—forgotten for so many, many years. No longer was I unsure of this feeling or of the man before me.

"Your sister was supposed to convince you to marry me," Mephisto admitted in a soft voice, cupping my cheek with a gentle expression on his face. His lips brushed against mine when he leaned in close. "But I will take your heart over a silly little contract any day," he finished before pressing his lips against my mouth.

Finding our way to each other...was only a matter of time...


	17. Bonus! The Past

Dark-brown curls spilled down her back until they reached her waist, blowing slightly in the heated wind of this strange dark place. Golden-brown eyes stared around in wonder, wide with child-like innocence. Blood-red mists swirled about pale, thin legs—far-too scrawny to be considered normal for even an active five-year-old. The black dirt below her bare feet strongly reminded her of ash—like those she'd seen in her mother's ash tray.

Why was she here? She didn't remember. The last thing she could recall doing was going to bed as her mother told her to. She had closed her eyes and, then, woken up here. Had her daddy finally left her in the middle of nowhere like he'd so often promised?

There was a presence behind her, suddenly, prompting the little girl to turn around to meet the newcomer. The dark aura the being radiated didn't even phase her as curiosity took precedence over any trace of fear.

She lived in the presence of a monster, anyway...

"A child?" a male voice issued from the scarlet fog, followed soon after by a figure stepping out and into her field of vision. Dark-purple hair and a neatly-trimmed beard framed a comely face. Bright, green eyes studied the human girl with interest, not missing the way her skeleton stuck out nor how her skin was as pale as ash. His clothing was odd but colorful—no other words could really describe the outfit. To the child's eyes, he was older and much taller than herself, but not to the point she'd consider him on par with her father. No. More like an older brother.

The unusual man kneeled to her level, looking her in the eye with a grin on his pale face. The little girl noticed, in awe, the pointed ears, sharp teeth and even the black claw-like fingernails on his person.

"And who might you be, Little One?"

Instead of answering right away, the human child grabbed onto his hand with both of her tiny ones. Fascination lit up her small face—devoid of all the baby fat most kids would still retain. She compared her miniscule human nails to his demon claws before piping up in her sweet, high voice.

"You're so cool! Who are you, Sir?" her brown eyes shone with interest even as she dodged around the question pertaining to her own name.

The demonic male was stunned for a moment, not expecting to be called "cool" by a human who'd, somehow, stumbled into Gehenna. He then became ecstatic, thrilled by the praise from such an innocent soul. "You've got a keen eye, Little One! My name is Samael, but I go by many names. You can call me 'Mepphy'!"

"Mepphy?" the girl repeated slowly, testing the name. She then smiled just as big—if not bigger—than his own grin. "I'm 'Mana'! Will you be my friend?!"

Startled by the bundle of energy the little toddler had transformed into, it took Samael a moment to get his bearings before he could answer. "Of course, Mana." A roar sounded in the distance, loud to his sensitive ears. Without a falter in his smile, he offered a hand to the little lady. "Now, come with me and we'll go to a fun place!" He was relieved when the child didn't hesitate to cling to his proffered arm, though it did surprise him on how trusting she was, even to a demon. Had she never been taught "stranger danger"? Hell! She looked like she'd never seen a proper meal, either! She was too young to be on her own, yet, clearly, her guardians did not care for her like they should...

As Samael, the Demon King of Time, led the youth away, he tossed an angry glare at the lesser demon that had stopped just short of the little clearing he'd found the girl in. His deadly aura was potent enough to send the creature scampering off in fear, leaving the son of Satan to lead the human to the Palace.

"Wow, pretty!" Mana cried upon sight of the black structure that towered above all of Gehenna. As soon as they were inside, she took off, intent on exploring. Samael barely had time to blink before he started to chase after her, crying at her to slow down. For a human girl who looked ready to topple over at the barest breeze, she sure could move... Her small size just made it that much harder to catch.

"Catch me, Mepphy!" Mana giggled, thinking nothing of her mad dash through Satan's castle. All her demon friends would play with her like this. It made no difference to her that he was more human-like than the others. She only wanted to play, as any kid would.

"Mana! Get back here!" He'd zip over to her with his demon speed only to lose her when she'd duck between his legs and turn a corner. After the fifth time of this happening, he finally managed to trick her to the point he picked her up. "Ugh! At last..."

"Mepphy, you're good at this!" Mana squealed in delight. He could only shake his head at her enthusiasm, but couldn't stop the smile from growing on his lips. Then, a voice made his blood run cold.

"Samael, who is that?"

Slowly, the purple-haired demon turned to the speaker, his shoulders slumping in defeat. So much for keeping the little human girl secret as he figured out where she came from...

Satan stood there in all his glory, sans flames. White hair fell past his shoulders, skin as pale as moonlight, and sky-blue eyes cold and unfeeling. His slender frame was clothed in heavy black robes that covered his feet as he walked closer to his son and the stranger.

"Hi! Who are you? I'm 'Mana'! Will you be my friend, too?" the words seemed to pour out of the five-year-old's mouth like water. She barely took a breath much less left any room between questions for the newcomer to answer.

Samael's hold tightened around her bony body as his father's long, white fingers stretched towards the girl. Briefly, he questioned why he'd grown so protective of the child. For that matter, why had he even helped her in the first place? Anomaly or not, it wasn't like him to feel this way...

"Hm. Now, I see," Satan chuckled darkly, giving a sinister smirk. He then looked up at his son who had control over time and space. "Protect her. Allow no other demon to touch her. She's a powerful one." And with that mysterious order, he disappeared down the hall. Samael didn't even bother to press for more information, well-aware that the King of all Demons would give none.

He let out a sigh of relief, glad that he need not worry about a one-on-one fight against the powerful demon...

"Aw, he left," Mana pouted in his arms. "Did I do something bad?"

Samael smiled and shook his head, continuing to carry her as he made his way down the cavernous corridor. "No, you did nothing bad, my dear," he assured with a sigh. "He's always like that. He's no fun at all!" His words elicited an adorable giggle from the curly-haired child in his arms.

Every night, this became routine for the pair. She'd fall asleep at her home and in her world, then wake in Gehenna, at Satan's palace. After several hours, she'd vanish, waking up in her bed. It got to the point, she couldn't wait to fall asleep to play with her new-found friends. Samael had introduced her to his brothers—all of whom had the same pull to her as their brother.

But only "Mepphy" received the honor as Mana's favorite.

She was now seven—two years to the day when she first arrived in the lives of the Demon Kings. Her health had begun to improve—no longer bruised or too-thin—over the past month or two. Satan had been the one to dig the truth out of her, ironically seeing as how he was known in the human's bible to be the "King of Lies". How her father beat her on a daily basis and gave her very little food. It frustrated the siblings on how they couldn't cross over to her realm, although they did finally discover that she was a daughter of Lilith—someone that no one but Satan had seen in centuries.

Samael was silently-thankful for whatever Satan had done to rectify the situation with Mana's father...

He stood in front of the mirror in his Academy office, back facing the reflective glass. Mana had not been seen in Gehenna for a week now and her last visit had ended with an hour-long game of tag...one where she had managed to make him "it" with a simple slap to his lower back...

A wry grin pulled at his thin lips, his green eyes flaring for a brief moment from pure amusement. A spot on his skin appeared burned—the exact same area where the girl's palm had made contact. A lighter tone of flesh marred the slightly-darker bit on his lower left hip...

In the shape of a pentagram.

Mephisto Pheles couldn't help the sigh he gave at the sight of it, but chose to keep the mark from the first girl that managed to capture his heart.

"Grow up safe, little Mana. I'll be waiting."

Waiting for the day when Satan allows him to retrieve her...it was only a matter of time.


End file.
